History: Part II
by AutyRose
Summary: History has the ability to affect us just as much as we affect it; it shapes who we are and who we choose to become. In the conclusion of the second installment in the Elements series, Korra isn't the only person who struggles with these concepts as the past begins to surface from its dark depths.
1. Too deep

Hello everyone! It's finally here: History: Part II. I've been so excited for this to come out, and I'm glad I was able to do it on the 15th (as I celebrate the 15th of every month, as some of you may know from the first post of History: Part I on June 15th!). And yes, I know this was technically supposed to be on the 14th, but, you know, I've been up many hours straight, so it still /feels/ like the 14th?

Heh heh... *shrugs and hides*

Anyway, before we get into the story, a few of my readers have asked if I could provide some sort of outline of what happened in Part I and when. So, I'm including this below! (Hopefully, I have enough characters). Here is a brief summary of what happened and when:

Asami leaves to go back to the Sato Estate on the 7th at the end of Chemistry ("Just two weeks").

Korra receives her letters (dismissal and threat) on the 11th. She leaves her dorm on the 14th. She travels to the restaurant (and meets Yezi!) and to the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center (cue the cuteness that is Ahyoka). She stays the night there. On the 15th, Korra leaves the SWTCC and heads downtown. She stops at Urkoma's but leaves to rescue Kazoku. That night, she is attacked by the angry Triple Threats. The next morning on the 16th, she is rescued by Bolin. She goes to Aang Memorial Island and leaves that night for the Fire Nation. She arrives at the border on the 19th. The next day, they travel to Caldera City and Korra meets up with Zuko.

On the 21st, Asami goes back to the University to meet up with Korra and her family for lunch ("Will you be alright?" in Chemistry). History: Part I jumps right into their search for her. They trace Korra to Yezi's, the SWTCC, and Urkoma's, where Tonraq and Senna stay for the night. Asami and Naga sneak off to the University. Also on the 21st, Korra and Zuko train in Fire Bending kata and are met at the top of the Royal Palace by Tenzin on Oogi.

On the 22nd, Asami approaches the Dean with the evidence and hands it over to him. Her and Naga head back to the City and trace Korra's trail to the alleyway with the earth prison. They return to Urkoma's and the group tracks Korra to the shores. With the trail ending, they head to the police department to file a missing person report and end up helping Lin with the Strikers. After that, they head to Future Industries but decide to camp for the night. That is when Naga runs off after a strong breeze blows her way. Korra is taken to Air Temple Island and commences to do things like be cute with Meelo. That evening, Tenzin takes her to Future Industries. Finding it to be closed, she wanders into the forest for cover until the morning. A strong breeze blows her scent and the smell of her campfire up north (where Naga and company were). The conclusion of History: Part I ("Incomplete") and the beginning of History: Part II pick up right from this point!

*breathes*

Wow, that was a lot in a little bit of time. But I hope that helps clear some things up when it comes to the timelines and what happened when and what not! Okay, now, for the moment you've all been waiting for: who is coming into the clearing? Find out below!

(-)

Chapter 1

 **Too deep**

Her heart was racing; while Korra had been prepared for a fight when she thought Naga was a group of stampeding animals, the heightened edge had dropped once she realized that it was just her polar bear dog. Now, the air was thick with tension, and the rattling of the bushes that got her attention during her parent's embrace echoed in her memory. Korra lifted her head and pushed herself away to examine the situation just as her parents turned to do the same, a subtle aggressiveness in her posture.

Korra froze – not expecting the sight before her in the slightest.

Blue ocean irises locked onto a pair of peridots.

 _Her_ _peridots._

She blinked once or twice until her mind started working again. "Asami!"

Korra sprinted past her stalled parents at full speed towards the engineer, a feat she never would have thought possible given her physical state.

The bags slid off of the raven's shoulders. Her limbs were still out of her control, still stuck in their position of disbelief. Her heart was sunk in her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. Here she was: the person she had been missing so much in her evenings at her empty Estate, running up to her in the past-middle of the night, in the past-middle of a clearing on a random ass mountain off the edge of the City. It wasn't a hopeful dream, where she would arise just before the woman reached her arms, where Korra was _so_ _close_ she could actually _feel_ her in her waking moments. Nor was it a nightmare, where the brunette was struck down in front of her very eyes, before she could even touch her – the multi-martial artist and engineer extraordinaire unable to save her if she tried. And Spirits know that she _tried_. No, it was none of that. This was the real deal, as much as it _did_ feel like a dream in her exhausted state. And it wasn't until the Southerner was a few feet away that all of this clicked and became believable.

"Korra!" She hollered with just as much enthusiasm a split second before the Water Tribe girl collided into her. She kept herself standing by redirecting the energy from Korra's jumping tackle into a spinning hug.

They melted into each other in mid-rotation, burying their faces into the opposing's hair. Their hands were tight on the other's back as Asami set her down. Tears poured down both of their faces. They never wanted to leave their embrace, _despite_ how much their legs were shaking from their separate physical exertions.

"I've missed you, Asami. I've missed you – I've missed you so much." Korra intensified her hold – if it was even possible – and dug a hand into the heiress' locks, grateful to feel their softness again.

"I've missed you, too." She pulled her closer and ran her fingers into the woman's tan scalp, failing to formulate any additional sounds.

The pair remained in this position for quite some time, forgetting the world around them. All that mattered at that moment was _each other_.

 _Asami…_

 _Korra…_

They sighed the other's name in their head. Everything just felt… better? Right? Normal? They couldn't pick just one word to describe it, since each word seemed to fall short of the true feeling. They departed with reluctance and locked eyes.

Asami swam in the oceans before her like she had never seen the sea in her life.

Korra wandered in the light fields in front of her as if they held the very essence of her life.

They were lost in each other – far, far away from their surroundings.

And neither of them saw it coming.

They were on the ground in an instant, both being licked by the massive polar bear dog on top of them.

"Naga!" Asami squealed.

"Naga –" Korra chuckled.

She wouldn't relent.

"Okay, girl, okay. I'm glad you like Asami, but you're gonna lick her face off!"

Naga turned all of her attention on the Southerner.

"No, no, that doesn't give you permission to lick _my_ face off! I _like_ my face!" Korra couldn't help but laugh between her reprimands. It seemed like it was so long since she'd been this happy – with the exception of her ride on the back of Oogi. For just a moment, her worries melted away and she felt the way a teenager was _supposed_ to feel at her age; relaxed, happy, and carefree, instead of a massive train wreck with what felt like the world on her shoulders.

A mixture of thoughts crossed Asami's mind upon Korra's plea. She blushed and tried to guide the polar bear dog off of the brunette.

"Easy! You'll have plenty of time to lick her later." Tonraq approached the trio and chuckled.

Naga hopped off of the pair and frolicked in a circle around them, tail wagging in absolute glee.

Korra and Asami sat up at the same time, caught each other's eyes, and reddened before looking away in embarrassment. They crawled to their feet and brushed their own clothes off.

"I'm so glad you're alive and okay, Korra." Senna wrapped her arms around her daughter again.

"Me, too."

"But you have quite a bit of explaining to do here." Tonraq was firm as he pulled the dismissal letter from the university out of his robe pocket.

"Not _now_ , Tonraq. We _just_ found Korra after all this time."

"No, no, it's okay. I really _do_ have a lot of things to tell you." She pulled away from her mother and shivered to another chill. "Why don't we sit around the fire so we can stay warm?"

Asami nodded in agreement, already feeling much too cold from the wind and her shoddy winter attire.

 _Or lack thereof._

 _It's not the only thing you're lacking right now._

It took her tired mind a moment to put it together.

 _Shut_ _up_ _._

Her flushed cheeks deepened as she followed the Southerners to the fire, too focused on hiding her pink skin to pay attention to the beginning of the story. She sat beside Korra, but not _too_ close to her. Tonraq was on her right. Senna was on his other side, next to her daughter to make a circle. Naga rubbed against Korra's side before lying against her back in a small, curled-up position.

 _Well, here it goes._

 _You can do this, Korra._

 _Yeah… I guess…_

She took a breath, uncomfortable in having to face one of the moments she was dreading upon returning to Republic City. "Mom, Dad. I don't even know where to start." Korra dropped her eyes and fiddled with her thumbs. As much as it pained her to do so, she couldn't play on her stubbornness for this one – especially since her feelings were genuine. "I guess I should say sorry, first."

"For what?"

"For running away. _Again_. And for getting kicked out of college. I know how hard you worked to get me there, and I blew it. And I – I was afraid of what you would think of me when you found out. I didn't want to be another… another failure…"

She didn't look at them; she couldn't bear to. Water filled and left her eyes before she could stop it.

 _There. It's out._

 _Not all of it._

 _Just… stop. Please._

Asami had a violent urge to wrap her arms around her friend and comfort her, reassure her that everything would be okay. She refrained, despite her desire; Korra had to tell her story, had to get it out and clear the air instead of letting it fester. Her suspicions were right; Korra had run away in fear of her parents.

 _And most likely in fear of other things._

She thought to the note burning a hole in her pocket and couldn't stop her heart from somersaulting from her rampant thoughts. As much as she wanted to hold Korra and end the sadness the woman felt, her curiosity as to what actually _happened_ made her restraint a bit stronger – just enough to keep her hands to herself, though they fidgeted with each other in the process.

"Korra," Tonraq interrupted both of their thoughts, "we know all about why you got kicked out of college." He spoke with a stern tone, the letter still in his fingers. "Asami filled in the details while you were gone."

Korra slouched further into herself.

"Tonraq –"

He raised a single hand to silence his wife before he continued. "Harassment? Physical harm to students and property? Threatening the safety of people? I don't know what happened to you in college that changed you into this type of person," he locked fiery eyes with the raven beside him before glancing back at his shriveled daughter, "but this is _not_ how we raised you."

Korra opened her mouth to argue, but her father spoke before she had the chance.

Urkoma's words floated into the back of his mind. His face grew firm, but his heart grew soft. "Regardless; we understand the position you were coming from."

Korra lifted her head and met his gaze with her watery one. "What do you mean?"

"This letter," he waved it in front of him, "is one sided. It doesn't take into account _anything_ that happened to you or the fact that most of the time, you were defending yourself from various things and people when these charges were filed. You were sticking up for yourself, and we can't be _entirely_ upset at you for that."

Confusion continued to fester on her face.

"Like I said; Asami filled us in on the details. While we are _very_ disappointed in you for getting kicked out of college," Korra lowered her sight to her feet upon the statement, "it's clear to us that it wasn't due to your academics so much as your misperceived behavior. But if this university thinks that they can just toss you out without even getting your side of the story through a trial or a hearing, then their system is clearly flawed. Any institution that decides to put themselves before _your_ safety, welfare, and education is _not_ a place I want my daughter to have any part of." Tonraq tossed the letter into the fire before them as he finished his final statement.

Korra straightened just a bit from his words and watched the paper burn in the flames. Her scar on her left cheek stood out as the shadows flicked across her face.

Senna reached out for her daughter and brushed the horizontal line with her fingers. "It's too late for me to try and heal this."

"It's – it's okay, mom. I'm used to it by now." Korra pulled away and held her elbows. Her hand brushed against her arm wound and forced a minor flinch out of her.

"What's wrong, Korra?"

"It's nothing."

"Your arm." Asami rose from her agura position until she was balanced on her knees. She moved the parka fabric around the brunette's wound until the somewhat-healed gash was visible on her right arm.

"What happened?" Tonraq almost rose from his spot upon sight of the wound.

"Relax, everyone. Please. It stopped bleeding days ago." She withdrew from the engineer's touch.

"But what _happened_?" Her father pressed.

"Take your parka off, Korra. I want to heal it. Tonraq, toss me your water sack."

"Mom –" She cut her own sentence off with a frustrated sigh as she removed her outer layer. "See, it's not that bad. It's not even infected."

Senna knelt down and examined the wound. She popped the cork off of Tonraq's container and Bent some of the water from it. "I can at least lessen the severity of the scar." She moved the liquid over the laceration and made it glow. By the time the fluid dripped away, a small, but jagged, line remained on her skin. "It looks like you have a cut on your elbow, too." She twisted her torso so that she could see the wound better. Within a second, she had more water in her control, healing the second injury.

Once the fluid fell, Korra retreated. "Thanks, mom." She rubbed her fixed gashes and smiled before sliding her parka onto her torso, grateful that her mother didn't inspect her further for more marks.

"Now, tell us how you _got_ those cuts, Korra." Tonraq folded his arms over his chest after he swung his water pouch back over his shoulder.

"I – well, the elbow one, I just fell. But the arm… I had a bit of a run in with one of the gangs in Republic City. I couldn't dodge one of the rocks the Earth Bender shot at me, so it sliced into my arm."

"Was he the same one that put you into that earth prison?"

"How do you know about that?"

"We traced your trail, Korra. From that little pond outside of your campus to a restaurant, then from the restaurant to the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, and from there into the Downtown District to Urkoma's, and eventually to the remnants of your prison. After that, Naga led us to the shores of Yue Bay and we lost your scent." Tonraq dug into his outer layer and pulled two of Korra's shirts from within, one of which was covered in dried mud. "We used these to track you."

"Where did you go, Korra?" Senna leaned forward and clasped her hands.

She glanced between each of her parents, Asami, and back again in hesitation. "I went to Air Temple Island. I swam there and I was there until just a few hours ago."

" _You've been in the City this whole time?_ " Asami had a bit of shock and a hint of betrayal in her tone.

Korra didn't want to nod, didn't want to fuel her lie, didn't want to hurt the engineer more than she already had, but she did anyway.

"Why? Why did you go there?"

She met her mother's eyes to answer her question. "I wanted to meet an Air Bender. Plus, they don't really turn people away, and since I was failing at surviving in the City – I went there so I could have a place to stay and heal. I wasn't doing all that great after the earth prison…"

Asami dropped her gaze to the hands that were now folded in her lap – still from her fidgeting. A small amount of pain crossed her face.

The notion shattered the pieces of Korra's heart.

"So you've been at Air Temple Island for _days_ and you just _now_ decided to come back?" Tonraq's voice held a bit of skepticism in it.

Korra locked onto him. "Yes."

"What made you leave?"

"I –" She paused for a moment and eyed the heiress beside her. "I was starting to feel like I was –" Korra averted her gaze to her feet and sighed. "There's no use in lying; I missed Asami."

Asami lifted her sight and stared at the woman beside her, a wave of emotion mixing in her chest.

"I had Tenzin take me to Future Industries to see if she was there. When they weren't open, I wandered into the forest for cover until I could go back in the morning."

A gentle smile crossed Asami's face.

"What about _us_ , Korra? Didn't you miss _us_ enough to come back?"

"Of course I missed you, mom. And you, too, dad. I figured that – since you were supposed to meet with Asami for lunch – then maybe you would be together, or maybe that Asami would know where you were or where to find you. She's a great driver. She could cover the whole City in just a few hours."

Senna and Tonraq glanced at each other for a moment, wondering for one, why none of them thought of that in the beginning of their search and, two, knowing firsthand the engineer's terrifying driving skills.

"If you missed us, too, then why didn't you just come back for lunch? Instead of making us worry for two days that you were hurt or lost or _worse_."

Korra faltered a bit, caught up in her own lie. "I – to be honest, I lost track of the days. I didn't realize until this morning that I had missed the date. I'm sorry…"

"That was pretty reckless of you, Korra." Tonraq glared at his daughter, his own exhaustion and the pained expression on his wife's face fueling his frustration. Urkoma's words left his mind in a flash. "Your mother and I have been worried about you for _weeks_. No letters. No response or word from you. We get _one_ message after _months_ of nothing and you tell us about how rough things have been for you, then you're _missing_ when we come to visit. Do you know how much your mother wept when we spent the night at Urkoma's? We were afraid that you might have _died_ out here in the City, and you were here the whole time!"

"But I'm _not_ dead. I'm _alive_ and I'm _fine_."

"Maybe next time you can let us know before we scour the City looking for you, afraid to look down the alleys to find our daughter's _corpse_."

"Tonraq –"

Korra shrunk into herself. They weren't wrong in their sentiments, and in all honesty, she didn't blame them for feeling the way they did; she _hadn't_ written them much during the semester and she _had_ disappeared when they finally got the chance to see her. And both lapses had been from _her_ failing to communicate, from being so wrapped up in her own life that she neglected the others who were in it. She fell further as she recalled those times, when she was attacked by Kuru and the Triple Threats and all of the other fucked up shit that had happened to her.

A small flame sparked in her. In this part of her being, it didn't seem unreasonable that she hadn't written to them; she had nearly _died_ , _twice_. She had more important things to deal with than responding to her parents letters, and if she hadn't, then they _would_ have found her in some gutter or alley or morgue somewhere.

But this fire was soon put out with the thought that she _had_ read the letters from her parents. She knew they were worried about her. She knew about the ice storms, knew about Naga and Master Katara. But she ignored it until the problem got worse, just as she had been doing with her exhaustion and whatever the fuck was going on inside of her head. The dull ache in her chest spread into a heart wrenching throb.

She could have done better. She _should_ have done better. And if she had, she wouldn't be in this mess. She would be continuing university or maybe she'd even be a Water Bender.

 _But I'm not; I'm a Fire Bender._

The pain pulsed in her core, her usually-fire hot stubbornness dwindling down to complete submission.

"I – I'm sorry, dad. I –"

"I'm not the only one who deserves an apology."

Korra raised her head and locked onto her mother's watery eyes with teary ones of her own. She had hurt them both and she had never meant to. She suffocated in her self-blame. "I'm – I'm sorry, mom. _Please,_ please don't cry anymore. I never meant to hurt you. I just… I…" She looked away and fought the lump in her throat.

 _If only they understood where I was coming from. I didn't_ _choose_ _for this to happen. Not entirely, at least._

 _Well then, tell them the truth._

 _What, that I swam to the Fire Nation to learn about Fire Bending? That I've been having nightmares and horrible headaches and actually only spent less than a day at Air Temple Island? That I've been lying from the very start of my story? That I'm a_ _Fire Bender_ _?_

 _Well, it would be better than digging yourself into this hole._

 _You know, for being in my mind and knowing all of my thoughts, you know_ _nothing_ _._

A small nip on her left arm forced her attention away from the conversation.

Naga looked at her companion with a mixture of emotions in her expression.

Korra sighed, already too deep into the lie and already feeling much too low about herself to refuse any apologies – owed or not. It wasn't untrue that she hurt them with her actions, even if she didn't have total control over some of them. She thought to the letters her mother wrote her, about her polar bear dog not sleeping at night, halfway across the world, because of _her._ "I'm sorry, too, Naga. I know you missed me a lot when I was gone."

She barked and nudged her with her snout.

"And Asami –" Korra twisted to the engineer – wanting to apologize and explain herself to the Non-Bender the most– only to stop mid-rotation. "Asami?!" She jumped from her position and caught the heiress as she fell forward. "Asami, what's wrong?!" Her panicked eyes scanned the raven. Her arms held her close. Her body felt cold – much colder than what she was used to. Her skin was paler than normal.

She was unresponsive.

"Asami?!"

(-)


	2. Warmth

Chapter 2

 **Warmth**

Korra's parents were on their feet in an instant. They were on either side of the heiress, a hand on each of her shoulders to help support her.

"Korra…" Asami mumbled, her lids shutting as her skin appreciated the warmth radiating from the Southerner.

"I've got you, Asami." Korra adjusted her hold, tears breaching her lids.

"Asami, what happened," Senna gasped as she gained sight of the rather large gash in the back of Asami's right leg. She reached over and pulled some of the fabric away from the bleeding wound. She popped the cap on Tonraq's water pouch before waiting for a response and Bent some water to the injury, not even bothering to take the container from her husband's shoulder.

Korra looked over the engineer's shoulder and stared at her blood-soaked pantleg. Her eyes widened in horror. "Asami, your leg – you're bleeding. What happened?"

"Wha – what?" Her voice was but a mutter, her head fuzzy from blood loss and the cold, not to mention lack of sleep and food from the past day of fervent searching.

She stared at Asami in terrified silence for several long, painstaking minutes as her mother tried to eagerly repair the injury.

 _Asami…_

"There we go. The wound is all healed up on the outside so the bleeding will stop. Luckily there wasn't too much internal damage. I'll probably have to do more work on it later, but for now, I need to wait until you recover a bit. Here: drink something. It'll help you get your strength back. " Senna rushed over to her bag and pulled a water flask from it. She scurried back to the raven and held the bottle up to her lips. "Help her sit up straight, you two."

Korra and Tonraq nodded as they altered her position. They ignored the pacing polar bear behind them, her anxious paws loud against the frozen ground of the clearing.

"Easy, Asami. Little sips. Just breathe and drink." She tilted the container at a low angle and watched her take the water in in slow gulps until the flask was drained dry.

"That – that feels a lot better. Thank-you." Asami tried to pull away and hold herself up but only slipped in the process.

"Easy, easy." Korra grabbed a firm hold of her and brought her to her torso. She held the woman against her and rubbed her back, worry pulsing through her body.

 _Is this what I looked like when I was falling all over the place in the Fire Nation?_

Her own fatigue became apparent to her with the thought, but she refused to yield to it. She sat down and kept the engineer close to her. "When was the last time you ate anything? When was the last time you slept?"

Asami just shook her head, curling herself into Korra's arms like a child into a mother's lap.

"Mom, can you bring me my bag? I've got some fruit in there from the Temple that she can eat. I think I've got enough in there for an even split between us all."

Senna nodded and retrieved her daughter's carrier.

Korra pulled the ties open, careful not only to keep the engineer upright with one arm, but to keep her Fire Nation books hidden from sight with her other. She removed all of the food items from her bag, which consisted of a few handfuls of lychee nuts and several apples – the former of which were from the Fire Nation while the latter were given to her by Pema just before she left with Tenzin to head to Future Industries. "I know it's not much, but it will hold us off until the morning." She grabbed one of the lychee nuts and shifted Asami so that she could see her face. "Eat. It seems like you've lost a lot of blood and you need to get your blood sugar up." She held the fruit up to the woman while her parents watched.

"I can do it." She crawled out of the brunette's hold in her own form of stubbornness and took the lychee nut from her hand. She struggled with peeling the skin off, though she was determined not to show any more weakness to the Southerners; she didn't like being vulnerable, _despite_ how poor she felt right now. She didn't think her exhaustion and blood loss would have _this_ much of an effect on her. She got the fruit open regardless and ate the pulp around the inedible pit. The rush of sweet, sugary deliciousness perked her up enough for her to sit up on her own. She ripped through the second one and cleared her head. After the fourth, she felt much like herself again, though she still felt a bit groggy from the blood loss. At least her brain was starting to work, and for now, that's all she needed.

Korra sat beside her and smiled, her heart simmering as some of the color returned to the raven's face. "Here, have an apple. You too, Naga." She twisted and tossed one of the fruit in the air.

The polar bear dog caught it in her mouth and ate the entire thing after two chomps. She let out a cheerful bark afterwards.

She grinned and returned her attention to the heiress, a supportive arm around her torso. She handed her the other apple and refused to look away until Asami took a bite. She smirked and locked onto her parents, who were sitting together across the fire with their own portion of Korra's food, eyes analyzing the pair of teens before them. "Thank-you for healing her, mom." There was a deep sincerity Korra's voice and expression that wasn't hard for either of them to see.

Senna smiled and nodded.

"Yes… thank-you. I would have bled out if it wasn't for you. I don't know why I didn't clot. Maybe it was just the rush –"

"It's alright, Asami. I was happy to help. But what _happened_? How did you get that big of a gash on your leg?"

She shifted and swallowed her current bite of apple. "I ran into some hog monkeys when I was getting the bags. I tried to lure them away with lychee nuts, but one of them caught on and bit me. I guess I just forgot about it in all of the excitement." She looked away, a sheepish expression on her face.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Asami. Hog monkeys can be pretty dangerous."

Asami glanced at the Water Tribe girl's eyes and grinned in appreciation.

Tonraq's yawn broke their attention away from each other. He rose and stretched his arms out before rubbing his hands across his outer robe. "It's getting colder by the minute, it seems, and those clouds don't look too promising." He stared up at the sky, watching the massive puffs move past the moon, muffling her light. "They look different than the ones we saw earlier. At least they seem to be heading _away_ from us." He shook his head to gain focus. "Anyway, it's late. We should really get some rest while we can. And judging by everyone's faces, we really need it."

A massive gust blew through them, prompting each of them to hold their elbows for warmth. They nodded in agreement.

"I'll head out to the river and get some water for ice tents." Senna rose and stood next to her husband. "I won't be long." She pecked his cheek and slid the water pouch from his shoulder. When he shot her a confused expression, she smirked. "If there are wild hog monkeys running about, I want something to keep myself protected. There aren't any fire hydrants nearby like there are in the City."

Tonraq grinned. "Fair enough. I'll collect some more firewood. Will you two be alright by yourselves?"

It took everything in them not to look at each other or blush.

"We'll be fine; no worries. We've got Naga here to protect us, too!"

The polar bear dog let out a mighty roar to prove Korra's point.

He nodded and made his way to the edge of the clearing to gather more branches.

"How are you feeling, Asami?" She spoke in a low tone, her arm still around the engineer.

"A lot better." She tossed her core to the side and locked onto Korra's eyes. "I'm so glad you're here."

The Southerner smiled and slid her right hand from around the engineer's torso to her pale cheek. She tangled her fingertips into her raven locks. "Me, too."

"Wait, let me see your hand." Asami pulled on her tan wrist and removed the palm from the left side of her face. She rotated her hand until her somewhat bruised knuckles were visible. Though the injury was almost healed, it was still potent enough for the heiress to see. "What happened? Did you punch something again?"

Korra nodded, a sheepish blush on her cheeks.

"You really need to stop hitting things when you're angry. It's not healthy."

She dropped her eyes and bobbed her head. "I know, I know. I should invest in a punching bag."

Asami giggled. "I guess you should." She lifted the hand to her face, as if to kiss the injury, but stopped herself. Her heart sunk in a nervous pulse.

 _What am I_ _doing_ _?_

 _Are you crazy, Asami?_

 _No, I'm not crazy. I just – I wasn't thinking. Is it too soon?_

 _If you have to ask, then_ _yes_ _, it is._

She couldn't stop the motion now. Instead of pecking the bruises, she brought Korra's hand to her cheek and held it there, surrounding its other side with her closed fingers.

The Southerner smiled and stroked her pale skin with her thumb. "Asami –"

"I think this should be enough wood to last us the night." Tonraq tossed a large amount of thick branches next to the small pile that Korra had made earlier in the night.

Korra and Asami separated in an instant and looked away, hiding their blushes.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah – yeah, everything is fine. Just – uh – checking on Asami to make sure she isn't going to pass out or anything – from the – the blood loss."

 _Oh, Korra; you're such a terrible liar._ Asami had to refrain from face palming. Instead, she shot the Water Tribe Warrior a reassuring look.

He glanced between the pair with squinted eyes. " _Alright_. Korra, can you help me add some wood to the fire? I want to expand it a little bit so that it reaches all of the tents."

"Sure." Korra took her time standing – knowing all too well that she was prone to swaying in her fatigue – and staggered over to her father.

The engineer tucked her knees up to her chest and watched them, thankful that they were building up the flames; she was nowhere near warm. She fought her shivering, though, to prevent showing any sort of weakness to the arctic-hardened Southerners.

 _This must be summer weather to them._

She rotated when Senna returned, swirling a great amount of water over her head. She observed in amazement as the liquid moved in a slow vortex, defying the laws of Non-Bender physics as it remained suspended in the air.

"Tonraq, can you help me make the tents?"

He dropped a final piece of wood on the fire and turned to his wife. "Of course." He widened his stance and commanded the water with the movement of his arms. He directed about half of the fluid to one side of the fire in a single flowing motion and clenched his fingers to freeze it into a rather large ice tent. He repeated this with the remaining liquid to create two smaller, separate tents. "Let's get some rest. We've been up for way too long.

"Here, Korra," Senna dug in her bag and handed her a pelt.

"Thanks, mom." She smiled and wrapped the fur around her torso.

"Would you help Asami get set up, Tonraq? I'll help Korra get settled."

"I don't need help, mom."

She chuckled and led her daughter to her ice tent. "I was going to Bend part of your tent away so that Naga could poke her head inside," she whispered as the pair crawled into the structure.

"Oh!" Korra grinned as she shadowed her mother's lead, her bag flung over her shoulder as they crossed the campground.

Naga followed them, wagging her tail and pawing at the outside of the temporary shelter after overhearing the murmur.

A small splash of water on the ground followed. The polar bear dog barked and slid her head into the tent. A slurping sound and laughing pleas echoed in muffles from the structure.

Asami smiled and staggered to her feet; like Tonraq said, they had been up for too long, and her leg was still adjusting from her healed injury. She shook it several times, a mild tingly and a strong soreness radiating from her calf. She turned to the Water Tribe Warrior and watched him to distract herself from the pain. A surge of emotion filled her, the tired lines and shadows of his face telling her more than anything she could have picked up arguing with him in the past day and a half that they had spent together. She recalled their journey to find Korra and felt her insides twist. Seeing no emergence of Korra from her tent, she walked to his. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Tonraq?"

"If you want one of these, you're out of luck. We only brought two of them and Korra already has the other one." He straightened from tossing his pelt into the entrance of his ice shelter and locked onto her eyes. "That's not what you wanted to talk about though, is it?"

She shook her head. "I want to apologize for some of the things I said to you." She didn't think they were _untrue_ statements, but she felt _just enough_ guilt to speak to him about it. "I haven't slept since the night before we learned Korra was missing and I guess everything just got the best of me. But that's no excuse. I _know_ you care about Korra, and I let _my_ concern for her overshadow yours as if yours wasn't important or adequate when it was. I'm sorry."

He nodded. "I accept your apology, Asami. Now get some rest. We have a long day ahead tomorrow and you need to relax that leg of yours until Senna can take a look at it in the morning."

Asami bobbed and hobbled over to her tent. She crawled inside and curled into herself. Being surrounded by ice didn't do much to protect her from the cold. Her tent was also quite thin, compared to the other two. She lay on her side and stared at the portion of the fire she could see. It seemed to be miles away from her in her discomfort.

 _Just close your eyes and sleep, Asami. Let it go. Tomorrow is a new day._

She watched Senna cross the campground and crawl into her and her husband's shelter before shutting her lids. Sleep would not come to her no matter how hard she tried. She was too cold and her thoughts were too rampant. Her stomach growled again, not satisfied from the small amount of fruit she already consumed. She tossed and turned, fighting the urge to stay awake. Nothing seemed to work. She eyed the tent to her right, looking and listening for any sort of movement from the Southern couple. When she determined they were fast asleep, she flicked over to the structure on her left. Naga had her head poked inside of it, her massive body sleeping on the exterior. She couldn't see Korra from her position, but it didn't stop her. She crawled from her ice tent, hesitated for a moment, and made the short walk past the fire to the Water Tribe girl she had missed so much.

(-)


	3. Confession

Chapter 3

 **Confession**

"Korra? Are you awake?" Asami whispered, pushing her body into the entrance of the tent.

"Asami?" Korra rolled over and pulled her fur down from her face. Though her movements and speech were groggy, it was more from exhaustion than it was from interrupted slumber. "You're – you're shivering."

"Yeah." She held her elbows and looked away. "Your dad only had two pelts – one for you and one for him and Senna – and I don't have the warmest clothes on, to be honest."

"Well, come inside. Come here. I'll keep you warm." She sat up and ushered the engineer into her temporary nest. "Here," she pulled her parka off and handed it to the raven, "put this on. It'll help."

"Korra, I can't take your parka. Don't you need it?"

She shook her head. "I'm used to the cold, remember? And as long as I've got wind protection, I'm fine with a pelt. Besides, I've got Naga to keep me warm, too." She grinned and threw her hand behind her to pet her half-awake polar bear dog.

Asami smiled and slid into the Water Tribe coat. A mixture of Korra's scent and something exotic – like lilies – floated into her nose. She closed her eyes and inhaled for a moment before locking onto the blue irises in front of her. "Thank-you, Korra. I really appreciate it."

It took Korra a few seconds to respond; her focus was on preventing her cheeks from reddening. She very much liked the look of Asami in her coat – moreso than when the engineer was wrapped up in her fur just a few weeks prior in the woman's upscale apartment off campus. She snapped herself out of it when she took another look at the raven before her. "You're still shivering." Korra crawled up to her and enveloped the heiress' torso with her sleeping pelt. "Take this, too."

"How about we share?" She hid her blush, handing the fur back to the Water Tribe girl. "You said you would need a pelt, too, if you had wind protection."

She threw an embarrassed hand behind her head. "Oh yeah. Right. Here," she scooted over and sat in an agura position. She patted the spot beside her.

Asami paused for a moment, eyeing the pieces of fabric spread out on the ground where Korra was laying. "You were sleeping on your extra clothes?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it acts as an insulator against the ground when it's cold. It's a trick my dad taught me." She pouted her lip and scrunched her brow for a moment, contemplating. "I probably should have done that when I was shivering in that alleyway…" She shrugged. "Well, it's too late now. Here, Asami. Come inside. Get out of the wind."

Asami grinned and filled the space next to the Water Tribe girl.

She tossed half of the pelt over the engineer's back, leaving the other portion on her own.

"Thanks for helping me warm up, Korra. I'm not used to the cold – if you couldn't tell. It was keeping me awake."

"It's okay." Korra smirked but froze, unsure of what to do at the moment. She couldn't tell if it was exhaustion, nervousness, or just lack of knowledge, but she found herself overthinking every single possible action she could take right now.

 _Relax, Korra, relax._

 _I've never been_ _this_ _nervous around Asami, before._

 _Well, you were never so adamant about your feelings for her before._

 _Yeah… you're right… but still, I shouldn't be_ _that_ _different. What's changed?_

 _A_ _lot_ _has changed and you know it._

She groaned inside, still uncertain of what to do or say or _anything_.

 _I know. But it's Asami. I've been this close to her be –_

She fought with every ounce of her being to hide her blush.

 _Relax, Korra, relax._

 _I –_

 _Relax._

 _What do I do? What do I do? Come on, brain: I know you're tired and in pain, but_ _help_ _me._

 _That's your problem. Stop relying on your brain and focus on your heart._

 _My heart?_

 _Yes. Do what you've done before and just_ _feel_ _._

 _Just… feel…_

"Are you alright? You seem a little tense." Asami interrupted her internal debacle.

"Oh, um, me? Yeah, I'm fine. Super fine, _totally_ fine." She ended her attempt at a response with anxious laughter and a sheepish hand behind her head.

Asami raised her eyebrow and gave Korra a knowing look.

 _Smooth, Korra. You're supposed to_ _feel_ _, not act like a fool._

 _Well, all I'm feeling at the moment is nervous – nervousness?... anxiety!_

She cursed herself in her head.

 _Relax, Korra. It's just Asami. The woman you've been talking to for quite some time,_ _without_ _so many issues. The wonderful… gorgeous…_

Smack.

 _Ow! What the hell?_

 _Focus_ _._

 _First, you tell me not to focus and just feel. Now, you're telling me to focus. What do you want me to do?_

 _Pay attention to_ _Asami_ _instead of your rampant thoughts._

 _You make it sound easy, as if you've got_ _nothing_ _at all to do with this._

 _Korra, would you just look at her and listen to your feelings?_

She threw her internal hands up in frustration. _I'm_ _trying_ _. I really am. You're not making it any simpler of a task._

Asami watched the emotions unfold in the brunette's somewhat lost eyes. "You're definitely not fine."

She sighed and dropped her head. "Is it that obvious?"

She smirked and inched closer. "You always were a terrible liar."

"Yeah, I guess I am." She exhaled, thinking back to the conversation earlier. "How are you feeling?" She met her peridots, desperate to change the topic as she fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"Better. Your mom really saved me back there. I thought for sure the bleeding would have stopped, but I guess I just didn't clot in time." She pulled her corner of the fur a bit closer to her face to combat a chill.

"Your color looks a lot better." Korra brushed her pale cheek with her left hand, commanding her attention. "I was really worried about you."

"Likewise." There was an unintentional bitterness in her tone.

Korra recoiled just a bit and lowered her eyes. "I didn't get a chance to apologize earlier, but I'm sorry, Asami. For _everything_."

Asami ran her fingers under Korra's chin and lifted it until their pupils locked. She slid her palm along her jawline until the tips were in her loose, brown hair. "I'm just glad you're here now and that I know that you're safe and alive." She sent her a simple smile as she got lost in the oceans before her.

"Me, too. I kept trying to get to you, but I couldn't find Future Industries for the life of me. The City is _crazy_ , Asami."

She chuckled. "I understand."

A silence fell between them as they stared into each other's eyes.

 _Should I do it? Maybe now's the time. Should I say something? Does she even feel the same way?_

Mirrored thoughts crossed their minds. They crept closer as Korra placed her hand over the light one resting on her face. A loud growl interrupted them.

Asami pulled away and blushed, averting her sight to the corner of the tent.

Korra grinned. "Are you still hungry? Here," she dragged her bag from the opposing side of the ice structure and retrieved her portion of the fruit from their meal earlier, "you can have the rest of mine. I'm not all that hungry right now."

She raised her eyebrow and hesitated. "Are you sure, Korra?"

She nodded. "Positive. Besides, do you know how many times you've fed me in the past? Hell, you've been giving me food since the _first_ _day we met_ after chem lab. The _least_ I can do is give you something to eat when you're hungry."

Asami giggled before she took a massive bite into an apple. "Thank-you, Korra. I really appreciate it." She sent an unknowing wink her way as she munched on her fruit.

Asami almost choked on her food at the realization, but she hid it well.

 _Wait, did I just wink at her?_

 _What are you_ _thinking_ _, Asami?_

 _I – I don't think I_ _was_ _thinking, to be honest._

 _You must be really tired to pull something like that. Get it together._

She filled her mouth with more to give herself a chance to mull over what happened _without_ having to answer what she was sure to be a follow-up question about her actions.

Korra's cheeks grew as red as the apple, if not moreso. At least, it _felt_ that way to her.

 _Asami definitely just winked at you, didn't she? This isn't just some sort of dream, right? Like, it was a_ _definite_ _wink?_

There was no response.

 _Korra? Korra!_

Nothing but gushy feelings came out of her internal voice.

 _Sure,_ _now_ _you just sit there and feel your emotions. I don't get paid enough to do this._

Her sarcastic side was expecting some sort of retort, such as 'you don't get paid for this', but when nothing came out, it surrendered.

 _Alright, time to get that mind back._

Within seconds, the overwhelming emotions forced Korra to look away in embarrassment until her exhaustion got the best of her. She yawned and stretched her arms just as Asami finished the apple.

"You should save the lychee nuts for yourself." Asami leaned forward and placed the small fruit into Korra's hands, intruding on whatever it was that was going on inside of the Water Tribe girl. "In case you get hungry in the middle of the night."

Korra smiled and stared at her, unable to conjure words. After a moment of awkwardness, she tossed the lychee nuts into her bag and tied the top before Asami could see the rest of its contents. She rotated back to the heiress with the same confused look on her face.

Asami took a moment to take Korra in. Her eyes – as blue as her irises always were – were _tired_ , tired and bloodshot. The dark rings at the bottom of her sockets confirmed this. Her hair, though loose, was somewhat disheveled. Her outfit was littered with small holes, rips, and stains. Whatever sort of journey Korra had been on, it had been a _long_ one.

"You look tired, Korra," she spoke up, trying to break the silence between them. "When was the last time you slept?"

She hesitated. "I slept on and off a few hours ago. I'm not sure for how long, but before that and the short rest I had on Oogi – Tenzin's sky bison… I hadn't really slept at all, to be honest. At least, not _enough_."

The engineer frowned. "Why?"

"I've…" Korra looked at her hands, turning them over in her lap. She stared at the bruises on her right knuckles and paused to reflect on her journey to this very spot. She thought of Tenzin and sighed. "I haven't been sleeping well. I've been having bad dreams."

"What are they about?"

She pulled her knees up to her chest. "A lot of things. One of them was about you."

"Really?"

Korra nodded. "I – ah!" She held her temples and muffled her agonizing groan as a sharp pain shot into her skull.

 _No. I was doing so well to hide the pain. Why does it keep coming back?!_

"Korra?! Are you alright?" Asami gripped her shoulders to keep the Water Tribe girl upright.

She bobbed her head. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just – I've been getting weird pains every time I try to remember my dreams. I think – I think I just need some rest, so they don't hurt so much… so it doesn't hurt so much."

Asami pulled her into a gentle hug. "Is there any way I can help?"

Korra departed and looked into the worried peridots in front of her. She noticed the faint circles below them and the exhaustion in the curves of her face. She avoided looking at her lips, for her own safety. "You look tired, too." She was eager to change the topic, just for now; she wasn't quite ready to talk to Asami about everything that has been happening to her. "When was the last time _you_ slept, Asami?"

"Not since the night before we were supposed to meet for lunch, and even that was just broken sleep..." She looked away and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "I couldn't sleep last night."

"What's that?"

She unfolded the sheet and handed it to Korra. "I kept reading it over and over last night. I was too worried to sleep and this was the last thing of yours that I had…"

Korra took the note from her fingers and looked it over.

"I was afraid it was the last thing you'd ever say to me. I didn't know when I'd see you again, _if_ I got to see you again."

Her face scrunched up as she fought a lump in her throat. Korra crawled towards the exit of the tent and popped her torso out of the hole.

"What are you doing?"

She tossed the letter she had written before she left her dorm into the fire as Asami poked her head out to see it burn.

"Korra?"

"I don't want that to be how you remember me. You don't need it anymore, because I'm not leaving. _Never again_." Her tone was solemn and determined, despite the heaviness in her eyes.

The pair watched the flames consume the paper in silence. Once its ashes sunk into the pile with the rest, Korra returned to the inside of the tent.

Asami took one last look at the fire and followed. "Are – are you okay, Korra?"

She nodded and rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine. Just – tired. Very tired."

She removed the pelt from her torso and handed it to the Water Tribe girl. "I should let you rest, then. I don't want to keep you awake." She turned to leave when a hand around her forearm stopped her.

"I'm probably not going to get much sleep anyway." She guided the porcelain beauty back into a sitting position and looked into her eyes. "You asked me how you could help. Could you stay with me?" She offered the raven the fur, never looking away from her peridots. "Please?"

There was more hesitation in her decision than she ever would have thought, though it wasn't much to begin with. She couldn't trace the reasoning and didn't care to, so she ignored the very faint faltering in her gut. Her lips curled into a gentle smile as she accepted the pelt. "Of course I can."

Korra returned the favor. "You're still shivering. Come here; I'll keep you warm, Asami." She tossed her side of the pelt over her and stretched onto the ground.

Asami mimicked her until they were side by side on their backs, both of their bodies only somewhat covered by the pelt. A strong wind penetrated the tent and forced another shiver up the Non-Bender's spine.

"Here, come closer."

They edged themselves towards each other upon Korra's request until the fur enveloped the entirety of their limbs. They morphed from laying on their spines to their sides, Korra's front to Asami's back. The pair melted into each other with ease, as if this had just been another exhausted night of studying on the heiress' couch in her apartment near the university. Their skin would be touching if it weren't for their clothes and neither of them seemed to have a problem with it. Actually, that was a lie. If they could be closer, they would be – they _wanted_ to be.

Asami inhaled and relaxed, comfortable with her position against Korra; she was too tired and too cold to blush, nor was she energized enough to pursue the desire burning inside of her.

Korra took in the scent of Asami's hair, a smell she hadn't realized she missed so much until this moment. She, too, was much too weary to have flushed cheeks. She wasn't quite sure where to put her hand, though, which seemed to be a first for her; in the past, she had been groggy enough to just throw it around the woman's waist in her half-asleep state. It was her favorite spot after all – her palm and even her arm fitting perfectly on the little curve between Asami's ribs and hip. But she didn't quite have this luxury, and her time alone – as well as her exhaustion – forced her to overthink it, ignoring her previous advice to 'just feel'. Her hand hovered a few inches above the woman's shoulder, torn between retreating and just _going_ for it.

The decision was made for her before she could rip herself apart in hesitation. Asami pulled her tan palm around to her abdomen – sensing her anxiety – to make it easier on the Water Tribe girl. She smiled and locked their fingers together. She could feel the tension ooze away from the woman behind her with the action. Korra was starting to relax, and it didn't take long for the engineer to know that it's _exactly_ what the blue-eyed beauty needed at this point in her fatigue.

They were simple. They were peaceful. They were natural. They were far from sleep despite their bodies protesting for their minds to quiet down. And they were experiencing a heat between them that was undeniable.

Guilt rose up inside of Korra. She kept thinking about _why_ it was that she couldn't sleep, about everything that she had been through – well, that which she could remember without causing herself immense pain. She thought about how much she _ached_ for Asami when they were apart and _why_ she felt so comfortable with the raven next to her. She was unaccustomed to the feeling, to having someone wield such a control over her without trying. But each breath simmered her feelings of vulnerability. She was just so _relaxed_. So… so warm. Warm and _guilty_.

 _I have to do it. I just… I have to._

She wasn't sure if fatigue fueled or hindered her feelings. All she knew was that she couldn't keep quiet anymore; she had to voice her confession and she had to do it _now_. "Asami, there's something I have to tell you."

(-)


	4. Afraid

Chapter 4

 **Afraid**

Asami rolled over to face the woman beside her. Their hands unlocked from the movement. Their noses were inches apart. "What is it?"

Korra panicked. She was nowhere near prepared for this, and everything that she had planned to say in the intermission between her sentence and Asami's reply disappeared as fast as it formed. "I –" She groaned at the pain-inducing memories and gripped her skull.

"Korra?" The engineer sat up, concern in her voice. "What's wrong?"

She sighed and rose into an agura position. "Asami…" She tried to look into her eyes but couldn't bring herself to do so. "I – I haven't been honest with you."

Both of them could feel the heiress' heart drop into her chest. "What do you mean?"

"I –" Korra grumbled and curled into herself once more.

"Korra, if this is causing you pain –"

"No, I _have_ to tell you. I have to come clean." She straightened herself, agony in her eyes. She summoned the willpower to lock onto the peridots in front of her. "Asami, I didn't go to Air Temple Island."

" _What?_ "

"Well, I did. That's actually not the lie." She lowered her head and exhaled. "It was how _long_ I was there for. I didn't spend the whole time that we were apart with Tenzin. I went somewhere else before that. I went to the Fire Nation."

"The _Fire Nation_?" There was a bit of unsteadiness in her voice. " _How_? _Why?_ "

"It's a lo – ahhh –", she looked away and rubbed her temples to alleviate the pain, "– a long story. Every time I try to remember it, it hurts. Certain parts of it. It hurts so much, Asami. I wish it would stop and just go away. I've – I've never felt a pain quite like this before, and you've seen me after the assaults…" She met her irises with watery ones.

The greens were unyielding in their portrayal of Asami's mixed emotions. "Korra?"

"Please – please don't be afraid of me again. Please don't hate me now. I didn't have a choice!" She curled into herself again, another sharp sting stabbing her.

"What do you mean 'you didn't have a choice'?"

"I – I was in the earth prison – the last I remember – before all of this crazy shit started. Some random Earth Bender guy came along with his weasel and freed me. He – he went somewhere, I can't really remember where, and my body – I was so tired, Asami. I don't think I really slept when I was in the prison, and I was stuck in the storm the whole night. It was so cold…" She met her peridots only to look away just as fast. "I didn't really know what I was doing. My body just started _moving_. It's – it's all really hazy." She groaned and withdrew as a pulse shook her. "It hurts."

"You moved without realizing it? Like – like you were sleepwalking?"

"Exactly." She sat up and held her knees to her chest. "Kinda. It's hard to explain. I could still see some of what happened, though it comes in – bursts." She buried her head for a moment to stave off the throb. She lifted it once more, but avoided Asami's eyes. "I went to Master Aang's Memorial Island and had a really –" She gritted her teeth to another onslaught. " _Weird_ dream. I – I think I spazzed out at some point. I started – started shaking and I passed out."

Concern replaced the frustration on her face. Asami reached out and took Korra's bruised hand in hers.

Korra elevated her eyes to meet the raven's. They still held a swirl of feelings, but it was a bit less severe. She glanced at the pale fingers wrapped around her injured knuckles. "These bruises – I punched a pillar. I was getting angry, and I punched it."

"Why were you angry?"

"Because of everything that was happening! It was so confusing. It _still_ is. And I – I just –" She dropped her eyes. "I wanted it all to stop. The pain. I don't know why it's so painful."

"Is that why you went to the Fire Nation? For answers? For help?"

She nodded but avoided looking at the engineer. "Sorta."

"There's something else, isn't there? You told me not to be afraid of you or hate you…"

She repeated her motion. "My subconscious was the one that took me to the Fire Nation, that made me swim all the way there, but not entirely for answers about my," she balled her empty fist to fight off another ache, " _pains._ Asami, I was getting frustrated because I was – I was trying to Fire Bend."

"You –"

"I was cold and freezing and I needed some way of generating heat but I was in no shape to make a fire with wood and I don't even think there _was_ wood around because I was in a building and –" She keeled over in agony as her emotions and attempts at remembering worsened her mental state. "I – I didn't want to, but I _had_ to. I had to try if I was going to make it through the night."

"Korra, relax." Though Asami was a bit frozen in her spot, she kept her tone calm. "If you get any louder, you're going to wake your parents."

She retreated, but only a little bit. "They can't know about this, Asami. Please don't tell them."

The engineer raised her eyebrow. "Since when have I ever spilled your secrets to them?"

"Well, you _did_ tell them about what happened at the university." The words left her mouth before she could think to stop them.

A look of anger and disbelief spread across the heiress' face.

Korra peeked at the woman in front of her when silence fell between them. She recoiled and rethought her statement. "I'm sure my dad didn't really give you much of a choice, did he?"

She shook her head, irritation still in her eyes. "No, he _didn't_. He was – _eager_ – to learn about what happened." That wasn't quite the word Asami was looking for, but she went with it anyways.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Absolutely not." She almost told her about how protective Naga was when she caught something in Korra's expression. "Does he – does he have a _history_ of being violent?"

Korra looked away. "Not really, no. Him and my mom _do_ Water Bend at each other when they are having really bad arguments, like _really_ bad ones. But mostly when they fight, it's just discussions and sometimes, hollering and bickering."

"I – I had no idea, Korra. I know you've told me in the past that they used to fight each other when they Bent, but I didn't realize that it was from arguing and not just heated sparring."

"It only happened once, when they had a fight bad enough to Bend at each other." She receded into herself. "It was about me not being a Water Bender, after they took me to see Master Katara because my dad thought I was ill and _that_ was the reason why I couldn't Bend. When Katara found nothing wrong and my parents had to accept that I wasn't a Water Bender… it was a long night that night. Everything would just be easier if I was a Water Bender. They wouldn't have fought as much. Things wouldn't be so…" She sighed, falling further into sadness.

Asami looked Korra over and realized her fingers were still wrapped around the Water Tribe girl's. "Has he ever hurt you?"

"No. He would never do that to me. He's never actually hurt my mom, either. He's just a bit… hot-headed, I guess."

Concern continued to fill the engineer as she considered her _own_ time spent with Tonraq. She gave her hand a small squeeze. "Were you successful?"

Korra lifted her sight to the question and met Asami's eyes. Her peridots still held a large vortex of emotion that she couldn't read. "Successful at what?"

"Learning about Fire Bending."

She exhaled and looked away. "Sorta. I learned all about the basics and the kata and even some advanced techniques. But I haven't been able to make fire on my own yet. Not the _right_ way, anyway." She leaned over and pulled her bag towards her with her free hand.

Asami watched with a curious expression as the brunette retrieved a red book from the carrier. It had a golden inscription on the front.

"I've read this book cover to cover, did everything it told me to do, but I still haven't been able to extend my chi past my limbs. I've got my inner sun, too," she glanced at the heiress for a moment before continuing, "but… I don't know. Maybe it _was_ just a fluke." She tossed the binding back into her bag and shoved the sack away.

"What's been stopping you?"

"A lot of things, to be honest." She rubbed her temple as a pounding ache moved to the forefront of her mind. "Mostly, it's been this pain. Every time I get close I –" She curled into herself again as a bolt shot through her. She gritted her teeth until it went away.

"Shhh, relax." Asami hesitated before pulling her closer; Korra was more important at the moment, and at the moment, she was in terrible agony. "You said sleep might help you get rid of this pain. Maybe we should try to get some rest. The sun will be rising soon and I'm sure your parents will want to get moving right away."

She nodded and melted into the woman's embrace, cradling her skull with her free hand. "I'm sorry, Asami."

The engineer separated their hug and forced Korra to meet her eyes with a lift of her tan chin. "Sorry for what?"

"For everything. For all of this. For running away. For breaking my promise to you and my parents."

"What promise?"

She tried to look away but was kept in place. "I told myself – after I Fire Bended to protect you from Kuru – that I would never Fire Bend again."

"Why?"

"One: my parents could never find out about it. It would tear the family apart. We've gotten so much stronger and closer since I was a kid, but if my dad didn't think I was his… Mostly, though, it's because I still see your eyes, Asami. You were so afraid. Afraid of _me_. I know it was unexpected to see fire fly out of my fist – I was just as surprised, trust me – but I – I don't want you to be afraid of me. And I don't want you to hate me."

"Korra, I already told you that I don't hate you for being a Fire Bender. I don't think I could _ever_ hate you."

"But are you _afraid_ of me? Now that you know…" Her tone was serious, as was the look in her ocean irises. A small fire burned inside of her.

"I'm not afraid of you."

A silence fell between them.

"You're telling me the truth, right?"

"I'm telling you the truth, Korra."

A soft smile spread across her face when she saw the sincerity in her expression. "All this time. All this time, I thought… I felt like…" She ignored the pain and glided her free hand into Asami's hair. She dove into her peridots until her exhaustion crept into her sight. "Asami…"

A powerful gust made its way through the tent and shook them both. The raven shivered from the cold once more.

"Come here, Asami. I'll keep you warm." She slid her palms onto Asami's shoulders. "If – if you want me to."

She didn't say a single word to respond. To be honest, she was just too tired and a bit overwhelmed. The past few days were taking a toll on her, and with the addition of this new information… She just wanted to rest and think things over in the morning. So she simply moved into Korra's embrace until they were both in a similar position prior to the Southerner's reveal. When her tan fingers were just as hesitant as before – if not _moreso_ – Asami took her bruised right hand into hers. This was something she would go over and deal with later, or so she kept telling herself. She didn't know if it was denial, avoidance, or just plain enervation. All of this – this sleepwalking-swimming thing, mysterious Fire Bending abilities, horrible pain just from trying to remember hazy occurrences and even worse nightmares – all of this was new to her. And she was much too exhausted to process it now. All she wanted was to lay with the woman she cared about so much, the woman who had snuck – no, smashed – through all of her barriers in such a short amount of time and claimed her heart as her own without even trying. This woman whom she was so worried about and _continued_ to be worried about, even after all this time. The woman she couldn't help but miss during her lonely nights in her empty Estate, when her mind was running over the exact notion of liking her so much. The woman who kept showing up in her dreams, whether good or bad. This woman, whom she couldn't manage to push away or hate in the slightest, after everything that happened…

She tried to find the peace they had before Korra confessed. There was a part of her that almost wished she hadn't said a damn thing. From what she could feel beside her, Korra felt the same. They would be lucky if sleep came to them. An occasional twist and squeeze of her hand told Asami that, if the Water Tribe girl _was_ drifting, she was headed right into another nightmare that was sure to cause her even more pain. She could feel the other woman's regret, too, and it wasn't something that she wanted at all; she didn't want Korra to feel like she couldn't open up to her. In all honesty, she believed she would be the only one who Korra would _ever_ find solace in when it came to her secret Bending. Another tense of the brunette's muscles pulled her attention away from her thoughts. She hated the feeling, hated knowing that Korra was going to hurt so much. So she fought through her own unclear feelings and moved herself closer to the woman, until their bodies touched and Korra began to ease behind her.

Because despite how much she loved this woman, despite how much she _desired_ this woman, despite _everything_ she felt towards this woman, she couldn't shake the fact that she lied to Korra – lied right to her face when she was vulnerable – just as the Water Tribe girl had done to her by the campfire earlier that night. Her guilt urged her to forget, to bury it all and just help Korra in any way she could.

And so she did.

Because despite all that they had been through, and the fact that she didn't _hate_ the woman next to her, she couldn't deny the truth, the _actual_ truth, before she pushed it underneath into the deepest vault she could find – one so distant, even _Korra_ couldn't come crashing through it. She didn't know _why_ she felt this way, couldn't quite place an exact reasoning for it in her enervation. Perhaps it was always there and she never knew about it, or perhaps it was just these past few minutes that brought it into creation. It might even be a trick of her exhaustion, her brain too strained from days passed. She would figure it out later, when her mind was rested and restored. Nevertheless, she was feeling it now, whatever the reason may be, and she didn't know what to do with it other than to push it far, far away. It was a confusing truth that she was forced to recognize:

She was afraid.

(-)


	5. Vulnerable

I know, I know. I have been so behind in posting, and I apologize profusely. Life has been so busy, and it is past two in the morning, but I told myself "I can't leave them without a chapter for another day! It is unjust!". So here I am. Soon, I will be sleeping, but until then, here is the latest chapter of History: Part II.

And, uh, well, I was going to add a part here, but I think I'll just let you read and see it for yourself.

(-)

Chapter 5

 **Vulnerable**

Asami stared at the wall of the ice tent as the dim flames outside and the hidden moon above them illuminated the small opening to the shelter. She was awake, though her conscious state was groggy. From what she could tell, Korra was in the opposite state behind her; she was asleep, but the slumber was light. She hadn't been resting long, either, judging by the amount of time it took her to steady her breathing. The engineer, in the meantime, tried to piece through everything that sprung from what Korra had told her, too hell bent to stop her thoughts and too tired to succeed in burying it deep enough.

 _Come on, Asami. Relax. You need to rest._

 _Korra went to the Fire Nation. She lied to me._

 _Why do you_ _think_ _she lied to you? Her parents were right there when she was telling the story. She_ _couldn't_ _tell them she went to the Fire Nation. They would be way too suspicious. Besides, she told you the truth once she was alone with you and they were out of earshot._

 _That's true. But why even tell me? If she thought that I would be afraid of her and hate her, why bother telling me a damn thing?_

 _Because she has a good heart and she's not deceitful; she's an honest person. And she's also not a good liar._

 _She fooled me once._

 _She did that out of protection for herself. But she came clean with you._

 _But I still don't know_ _why_ _. If she thought it would change things between us, why do it?_

 _Because she wants to be_ _honest_ _with you. She cares about you, cares about what you think of her. She wanted everything to be out in the open, instead of you finding out about it later. You're important to her, and she's important to you._

Asami sighed and shifted. She brought Korra's right hand out from under the fur and twisted it in the dim light, examining the bruises.

 _Why am I afraid?_

 _Do you think she's going to hurt you?_

 _Korra would_ _never_ _hurt me._ The sight of the flame rushing towards her when Kuru tried to backhand her again swarmed over her. She winced. _Not_ _intentionally_ _, anyways._

 _So you_ _are_ _afraid that she's a Fire Bender._

 _No, I'm not. I – I don't know. I don't know why I'm afraid. If I did, I wouldn't be asking you about it, would I?_

 _I guess you're right about that. But I don't think you're the only one who's afraid here._

 _What do you mean?_

 _I think Korra is_ _terrified_ _. It took a lot out of her just to tell you that she went to the Fire Nation. You saw her eyes. Her posture. Her_ _being_ _. And everything that's been happening to her… it must be really confusing for her, not being able to remember or sleep without pain or nightmares._

 _You have a good point. I wonder what she's been dreaming about, and_ _why_ _all of this is happening._

 _She said one of her dreams was about you._

 _She did._

 _I wonder what happened._

 _Your guess is as good as mine. If it was a nightmare… I can't imagine the dream lasted long._

 _Maybe you can help her._

 _Help her?_ She paused for a moment to contemplate the claim. _How?_

 _You and I both know that you bring her peace and comfort. Help her sleep. Maybe then, it'll be easier for her to piece everything together._

 _Maybe. But… this feeling. It's weird._

 _Korra needs you. You might have to put it aside for now until she gets better. Until you_ _both_ _get better._

 _Maybe you're right._

She focused on the tan hand in hers. She caressed what skin she could access with her thumb.

 _Do you still love her?_

 _I do. I don't think I couldn't._

 _Sure you could._ A different perspective stepped in. _You could bury it all. You could leave right now and just be done with them, with everything. But you won't._

 _No, I_ _won't_ _. If anything, I should be burying this irrational fear. And you're wrong, by the way. I couldn't just leave; I'm not strong enough._

 _Asami, look at everything you've endured in your life. You saw your mother die in your arms. Do you really think you couldn't summon the willpower to leave this person that you've hardly known?_

 _Why are we even talking about this? I'm_ _not_ _leaving Korra._

 _Just consider your options. Are you willing to live the rest of your life in fear?_

 _I –_

She exhaled and lowered her arm back to the cold ground.

 _I just need time to figure it out. I'm not afraid that she's going to hurt me. Maybe… maybe it's just something else. Or maybe it isn't… Spirits, I don't_ _know_ _…_

 _You've got plenty of time right now. Just stay up, piece it together._

 _No. I'm too tired. I need sleep. I need a fresh mind._

 _Then sleep._

 _I've been_ _trying_ _to do that. Your interruptions aren't helping!_

"Asami?" Korra's voice was but a mutter. She shifted onto her elbows, her eyes only half open. "You okay?"

Asami looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"You're not sleeping. Are you still cold? You can take all of the pelt if you want –"

"No, no. I'm warm enough." She rotated onto her other side and ran her fingers into the brunette's hair. "You've done a good job of keeping me warm."

Korra grinned, though the curve was soft and muddled with exhaustion. "I'm glad that I – that I did something right this time." She lowered herself back to the ground and stared at the peridots beside her. "Is there anything I can do to help you sleep?"

She looked away and shook her head.

"Something – something's not right. I can tell. Something you're not telling me." She stroked a loose lock of raven hair with her thumb. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Asami hesitated.

 _Maybe it would be better to just talk to her and get it out in the open._

 _Or maybe it would make things worse._

"Korra… I –"

Naga's head bolted up at that instant. Korra flipped to face her as Asami did the same.

"Naga, what's wr –"

The polar bear dog jumped out from the tent and barked before she could finish the question.

"Naga?" Korra pushed herself to her feet when several flashes of black passed the small hole that Senna had made for Naga.

A growl and several painful whimpers echoed into the ice structure by the time Asami crouched beside Korra.

"Naga!" Korra burst out of the larger exit just as the sound of her polar bear dog's body hitting the ground reverberated in her ears.

"Korra!" Asami yelled after her, following her out of the tent.

"Naga!? Naga, are you alright?" She sprinted towards her animal companion when several masked people jumped in front of her, blocking her path.

Asami was at her side, though she halted when she saw the familiar uniforms of the assaulters. "Strikers." She slid the parka off of her torso and tossed it aside, knowing full well that this was going to turn into a fight that she would need all of her mobility for.

Within mere seconds, they were surrounded by fifteen green-eyed strangers. Korra stopped dead in her tracks and switched into an offensive position without a second thought. "Who the hell are you?! What did you do to Naga?!" Her fists and teeth were clenched.

"Korra, what is going –" Tonraq's inquiry as he emerged from the tent was cut short when he, too, was cornered by what appeared to be twenty of the assailants.

Senna crawled out from the structure and stood behind her husband in a dazed shock.

Tonraq set his jaw and angled his arms, preparing himself to fight. He put himself between the Strikers and his wife. "What do you want with us?"

They charged on all four of them without warning or response. The Strikers moved with incredible speed. Some of them sent pulses to one of their hands, creating an electric charge from the glove they wore.

"Look out!" Asami spun around and parried a rapid jab from an attacker behind Korra. She slipped their movements with difficulty; they were quicker than any opponent or trainer she had ever fought before.

Korra was in a similar state, each of her thoughts as she avoided the blows being "shit, shit, shit."

 _Who_ _are_ _these people, these_ _Strikers_ _? Is that what Asami called them? How does she even_ _know_ _about them?_

She ducked under a rapid kick and kept her distance from her aggressors.

Asami managed to sweep one of them after she rolled under another speedy shot. They didn't stay down for long and were replaced by two additional Strikers until they could rise.

Tonraq and Senna fought back-to-back, their ice tent long destroyed to provide them with Bending water. Senna's moves were more defensive, trying to keep the attackers away from her, while Tonraq charged them with full force. His brute strength was no match for their agility. While he kept the group fighting him on the defensive, he didn't land a single blow. His frustration was starting to build.

Senna managed to send a small blast of water over two of her pursuers before they could evade the attack. She froze them to the ground to keep them at bay.

Tonraq tried quick, more precise attacks, which countered his first attempt at mere power. When his water slashes failed, he resorted to hasty blows with ice-covered fists. He pivoted around one of the aggressors and slammed his solid hand into their face. The assailant smashed into the dirt, incapacitated. He slipped another that ended up sharing a similar fate.

The more seasoned Strikers picked up on their fighting patterns with ease. It wasn't long before they dodged and slipped past Senna and Tonraq's Water Bending.

It didn't help that their water supply was getting so low, either.

Tonraq rolled out of the way of another attack and tore down Asami's ice tent. He kept the solid form and shot sharp icicles at his pursuers.

They avoided the spikes and continued to close in on him.

Korra and Asami were sweating, struggling to circumvent the fast movements of the Strikers surrounding them.

Asami was making out a bit better than Korra, given her more advanced hand-to-hand combat techniques. She refused to take a hit and slipped every attack sent her way before turning her opponent's movement against them. It didn't take her long to pick up on their _own_ pattern of attack, though her usual strategy of sweeping and flipping them into the ground wasn't proving useful; they just bounced right back up, ready to charge – whether it was with fists or their electric gloves.

The glow of one of the devices filled her sight with white, the weapon a bit too close for comfort as she rotated out of the way. She grabbed the wrist of that particular Striker and wrapped it around his back, forcing the glove against his own clothing. He shrieked from the pain until he was rendered unconscious. Asami released her grip and allowed him to plummet to the dirt – disengaged but breathing. He joined the other six Strikers that she had already taken down. Two more took his place. She spun on her heel to combat the two that were running towards her. She ducked under the first charge and slammed her knee into the groin of the second. She rotated again and shifted her stance, preparing herself for the three aggressors facing her.

Korra, on the other hand, wasn't exactly sure _what_ she was doing. All she knew was that she was stepping around their attacks at a rate that she never would have expected. Her breathing was rapid. Sweat poured from her. She was starting to see red. The sight of her fallen polar bear dog would cross her peripherals after certain dips. It only added fuel to the fire. She took to the offensive, fending off the circle of Strikers around her. She kept moving, kept dodging. She twisted around one quick jab and reciprocated with a blow of her own. Though she couldn't see the blood, she was _sure_ that she broke the person's nose. They fell to the ground, cradling their face from the attack. She didn't have time to celebrate as another kick came barreling her way. She took the brunt of the move, unable to clear it in time. She didn't let that slow her down, though. She rotated just as a hand shot towards her shoulder. She couldn't help but notice his form before landing a firm punch to the throat.

 _Why are their fingers pointed when they strike?_

Tonraq drained water from the grasses nearby and used it to slam one of the Strikers into the ground. He froze them in place, their electric glove still glowing under the torso restraint. He rotated to face two attackers on his flank when he heard Senna yell in a quick burst. His eyes widened as he turned to his wife. He watched her body fall to the dirt under the dim light of the fire.

She didn't move afterward.

"Senna!" He tried to rush to her, using what little water he had to plow through the Strikers charging him.

But he was too slow.

Several quick jabs to his leg and he was on the ground. He continued to Bend at them, as confused and alarmed as he was in his vulnerable position. He managed to take another one down before their blows rendered his arms useless. His cheek was against the cold dirt, his pupils on his wife, who was looking right back at him.

"Senna," he muttered as he tried to extend his arm out to the woman he loved.

 _Why can't I move? What did they_ _do_ _to me?_

He rotated his head so that he could see Korra and Asami; the Strikers that had been attacking the Southern couple rushed after the pair. His eyes broadened in horror as he watched, helpless to protect his daughter, his _blood_ from the storming aggressors. He mustered all of his strength and attempted to move, to do _something_ to help her. Nothing happened. He was as helpless to assist – to do _anything_ – as a newborn polar bear dog pup. All he could do was stare at her as the men got closer.

 _Korra…_

(-)

If you were wondering what I was going to put at the beginning of this chapter, it was me saying

"IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN."


	6. The one that got away

Hello everyone! I am so so so so so so so sorry that this is so so so so so so so late. Things have been really busy lately but I am going to try to get better at posting on time. The last time we left off, Korra and Asami were in some trouble with the Strikers. With Tonraq and Senna down for the count, can they survive?

Only time shall tell!

(-)

Chapter 6

 **The one that got away**

Asami noticed the incoming attackers and rolled closer to Korra.

Korra somehow landed a powerful kick right into the ribs of one of the Strikers. The man plummeted to the ground, coughing and groaning in pain. She saw Asami shift towards her and intercepted one of the pursuers at the raven's six. She blocked the blow with her forearm and pushed him away with a strong lunge forward. When the man came back, she slipped his glove and forced him into another Striker at her rear, effectively shocking _him_ instead. While the injured aggressor fell to the ground, the original kicked Korra away from him. She slammed and bounced onto the frozen dirt before popping back up to her feet. She ignored the pain in her fresh, bleeding scrapes, as well as her throbbing abdomen.

Asami caught sight of Korra when the man made contact with his foot. She pivoted to avoid another attack and slammed her heel into the back of the man's knee. He crashed into the ground, giving her the opportunity to close the gap between her and Korra.

The pair stood back to back as they were encircled by about fifteen Strikers. Adrenaline rushed through them. Their survival instincts kicked in. It gave them strength. They moved a bit closer to each other as the Strikers inched towards them.

But then they stopped.

They halted in their tracks, some of them still making their electric gloves discharge. Others with only their hands as weapons were spread amongst them. Two of them moved apart for a moment, allowing one of the Strikers to step through. His outfit was different in color and style than the comrades at his sides. Though his eyes were still illuminated as the others were, his mask stopped just under his nose, revealing his jagged, smiling mouth. He reached behind him and pulled a baton off of his back.

Asami growled inside, shifting ever so slightly into a more aggressive stance.

 _That's_ _him_ _: the one that got away._

With a flick of the man's wrist, an electric pulse surged around the tip of his weapon.

As if on cue, all of the Strikers lunged in a pattern at the duo. Their attacks were swift and accurate, keeping Korra and Asami on their toes.

Asami made slow work of one rather large assailant that bore an electric glove. The static of the weapon whirred in her ear when she slipped his grab. She rotated around to his back and sent a raging kick into his groin. He fell to his knees by the time she swept the next Striker that charged at her.

Korra was finding it more and more difficult to defend herself against her pursuers. She was getting tired – _fast_. She ducked under a hand only to spin mid-dodge to avoid another. They were reading her like a book; she couldn't get a single attack off on them. She considered burying one of their hits to land her own, but she shot the idea down. She wasn't sure why, but she _knew_ she had to avoid contact with them at all costs. She observed another pointed hand as it whizzed by her face.

 _Why does that look so familiar?_

She didn't waste time trying to remember and, instead, capitalized on the opportunity available to her. She grabbed his wrist and used his momentum to send him flying into one of the Strikers behind her. They slammed into the ground. Only one of them got back on their feet.

The Strikers lured Korra and Asami away from each other until they were surrounded by their own separate – but smaller – circle of aggressors.

Asami took a split-second to survey. She had several more attackers around her than Korra did. She knew, in all honesty, that she had to get back to Korra; they worked better when they could play off of each other as they had been throughout the middle of the fight.

 _That's not the_ _only_ _reason._

It was true. She didn't just want to fight with Korra, she wanted to _protect_ her. She rolled under another electric glove – thoughts interrupted – and axe kicked his extended elbow. She was sure she could hear it snap under her heel. He screamed for just a moment as she sent a spinning back kick into his skull. He dropped to the ground and tangled her feet. Before she could free her ankle, she felt something blunt slam into her back. She cried out in pain and spun around to fight off whatever it was that hit her. She met the eyes of the baton-wielding Striker.

It was too late.

"Asami?!" Korra pivoted and elbowed one of the Strikers in the face as she heard the engineer scream. She watched as three men assaulted Asami at once, jabbing her with their extended fingers all along her arms and legs. The Striker with the baton grinned as she dropped at his feet. The sound of her body hitting the ground echoed into Korra's ears. It made her heart sink into her chest.

The Strikers halted and kept their circle around the brunette. They widened it to allow the additional members in. The baton-wielding Striker entered the group and smirked.

"Look around you. The Water Benders have fallen. So have your polar bear dog and your friend, Miss Sato." He waved his arms open, sparking baton in hand – as if to motion to the defeated people around him. His voice was deep – as if purposely so – yet it held a faint sense of familiarity.

She was in too much of an adrenaline-fueled tunnel to focus on it. Korra glanced at her surroundings, her eyes touching on each of her parents, her animal companion, and finally, Asami. Her heart wrenched. Rage started to fill her. "What did you do to them?!"

"What we're about to do to you."

She shifted into an offensive stance and panted, refusing to surrender.

"Not that it will be much of an issue. If anything, you're a waste of time."

 _Wait._

Before she could react to her thoughts, he flicked his baton forward. The remaining ten Strikers charged towards her, hands and gloves at the ready. She gritted her teeth and analyzed their movements.

Her parents and Asami watched on with horrified eyes.

 _Come on, Korra._

She twisted her body to avoid the first Strike. She watched him as he flew past her, pivoting mid-attack to follow up with another. Korra crossed her wrists at eye level and sent her fists flying away from her. Her right smashed into the skull of the first aggressor, while the left forced another to contort out of the way instead of jabbing her. She used the momentum from the miss with her left arm to spin on her feet. She tucked her knee as she rotated and extended her left foot right into his face. The Striker fell at the same time that her sole returned to the ground.

Korra spun around to the sound of another Striker approaching her. She parried his double jabs with her forearms, one at a time, until she closed in on him. She grabbed his shoulders and sent a foot flying into his groin before he could react. When he weakened from the pain, she held him up and tossed him into the aggressor at her nine. The two collided and tumbled to the ground. She used this pause in their attacks to her advantage and took to the offensive instead.

She charged a Striker with an electric glove, expecting him to try and grab her.

He did just that.

She stole a move from Asami and rolled underneath him. Korra anchored her toes into the dirt and lunged at him. She grabbed onto the back of his coat and spun her body around, forcing the Striker to follow. He, too, smashed into an incoming pursuer. They crashed into the ground but rose by the time she shifted to the next attacker.

This one was fast. Faster than any she had seen yet.

Korra slipped into the defensive – as if she really had a choice. His jabs – fingers extended – were quick. She could feel the wind on each attempt as it missed by mere inches. She heard footsteps behind her and the hum of a charged electric glove.

 _Shit._

She was getting cornered and she knew it. There were still six Strikers left, three of which who were within striking range. The main attacker moved closer and closer to her, enough that she could see a small crack in his helmet in the dim light of the camp.

 _Just wait for it. Wait for it._

 _I don't know what_ _it_ _is!_

Korra shut her thoughts down; they were much too distracting and she didn't have the patience to deal with them at the moment. Once she did that, everything seemed…

 _Simpler?_

Perhaps the man was getting tired. Or perhaps her dodges were becoming more effective. Either way, the blows were easier and easier to evade. She took a step to her right to avoid one of his jabs and landed a powerful punch square in his face; it felt like the strongest hit she had ever landed in her life. Her stance was solid, her breath was under control. She was _focused_.

The Striker dropped, hands cradling what could only be a broken nose. Two more – the ones she tossed prior – charged her flank.

She heard them before she could see them. And it was all she needed.

Korra ducked under their arms and took a simultaneous step backwards, forcing them to move in front of her. Their spines were exposed. This was her chance. Her hands rose above her head at the same time. They expanded in a large circle to gain momentum. Once they were together at her base, in the chamber by her waist, she sent them bursting out of her. Her fists slammed into the center of their backs. They groaned and spun around to fight her.

They were too late.

She had already sent a spinning back kick their way. A _powerful_ one. It collided the instant they faced her, hitting both of them in the skull at different points. They cried out in pain and crashed into the ground, debilitated. She didn't stop. The second her toes touched the dirt, she jumped. Using the momentum from her last kick to accelerate her through the air, she rotated her body and landed another painful heel into the approaching Striker.

He dropped.

 _Three down,_ she pivoted to the final group, as if this was all just some sort of training simulation to whatever part of her that was controlling her actions and mind, _three to go._

Despite what they've witnessed, the Strikers didn't hesitate to attack. They charged her at once from different angles, trying to get her to slip.

Unfortunate for them, Korra was nowhere _near_ slipping.

She dodged their attacks with several dips and contortions of her body. She used one particular evasion to get behind the pursuer and front kick him into another. Their momentary collision was just the time she needed. Korra spun to the third man – who was coming at her with an electric glove – and lifted her leg up to the height of her head, her fists as close to her ankle as possible. She brought everything down at once, slamming the heel of her worn boot into the man's skull. Her successful axe kick rendered him unconscious on the spot.

 _These moves… they're familiar…_

She didn't bother wasting time on the thought. This was _her_ fight. She was the last one standing and everyone's only chance of making it out of this thing alive. She kept her natural flow as the remaining two Strikers attacked.

One of them went high with an electric glove while the other went low with quick, powerful jabs.

Korra flipped as the pair got closer to each other. Not forward or under, though, but _backwards_. She flew and arched her back until she was completely horizontal to avoid both blows at once. She caught herself on her hands, but instead of completing the rotation, she pushed herself towards the attackers. She shot her legs out mid-air once she was horizontal again. Her feet slammed into the center of the Striker with the electric glove.

He plummeted to the ground, fighting for air from the blow to his solar plexus.

The impact and angle forced Korra into the frozen dirt as well. She slid several feet – acquiring new scrapes and bruises that she would deal with later – before she spun back up, ready for another attack.

 _Where the hell did_ _that_ _come from?_

 _Who the fuck cares? That was_ _awesome_ _!_

A flying jab broke her right out of her momentary pause. She slipped it and parried another. She continued dodging his advances, sweat dripping down her face. She was sick of waiting for an opening. Once he was close enough, she sidestepped one of his blows and sent her knee right into his abdomen.

The man stumbled, but kept on his feet.

This was a huge mistake.

Korra took onto the offensive, an _aggressive_ offensive. Her foot slammed right into his face – her side kick perfect – by the time his eyes made contact with hers.

He flew onto the ground, his head smacking the hard dirt.

He did not get back up.

She turned to the Striker with the baton, who seemed to be the ring leader of this whole fiasco. She kept her stance offensive, though she was taken aback by the appearance of the man.

He stood still, electricity racing around one of the ends of the baton. He didn't look afraid or worried at all. In fact, he looked almost _amused_. There was a grin on his face that was a mixture of excitement, evil, superiority, and perhaps a small bit of rage. _Perhaps._

 _What the hell? Did he_ _enjoy_ _watching all of his men fall?_

He brought his weapon up to the ready and shifted his stance. He was prepared for this moment, and in all honesty, _hoped_ for this moment. Though the Water Tribe girl had proven to be a better combatant than he would have first pegged, he felt nothing but glee at the thought of murdering this woman in front of one of the most influential Water Benders in the world – when it came to the Southern Water Tribe. He wanted to make the horrid Water Benders suffer, to make _all_ Water Benders suffer.

Or…

Perhaps he would do it the other way around. Let the brunette watch as he stabbed the necks of her parents with his baton and shocked them to death. He would make her watch as he did the same to that damn Sato child, too. Hell, he'll even kill the polar bear dog, _just_ to watch her writhe, just to make her beg for mercy or death. Either way, he would kill her last, and it would be the most pleasurable kill he's had in months, perhaps _years_.

His grin grew wider at the thought. "It looks like I'll have to take care of you _myself_."

(-)


	7. Warship

Hello all! Sorry this is so late: I planned on posting earlier tonight and then slept for five hours instead of the twenty minutes that I was intending on sleeping. Anyway, here is the latest chapter! It's an epic one, so I hope you enjoy it. *heart*

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Chapter 7

 **Warship**

Korra shifted a bit to the side, allowing her actions to be her only reply. Fire was burning inside of her, its red flames filling her center. She drew on them and inhaled to steady herself. She took down over ten of them already; she was more than ready for just one more.

What she wasn't prepared for was how fast he was.

He cleared the gap between them in two strides and used his momentum to whip the baton in his left hand across his chest from his right shoulder out, arm extended at her face.

She ducked in the nick of time and felt the wind from the weapon as it skimmed the top of her head. His front was exposed to her from the maneuver. She lunged forward, her right fist coiled for a punch.

He pivoted on his right foot and brought his arms together at his chest, similar to his first attack. The motion allowed him to rotate his entire body until his front was perpendicular to her side, effectively avoiding her blow. He stretched his left arm, the electrified baton swinging at her cheek.

Korra spun on her forward leg, bringing her left behind her to face the assailant. Her fists were almost up at the ready to prepare for a counter attack, but the man was much too quick for her. She leaned her torso back just enough to dodge the charged end of the stick. She used this opening to her advantage and sent a left jab towards his nose.

He slipped to his right to evade the fist, bringing his baton-arm over to the same side during the movement. He led with his left elbow and stopped Korra's right hook by smacking away her inner wrist with his electrified stick. The end landed on her higher than he expected, colliding with her armband instead of her skin. The fabric insulated the shock that may have otherwise transferred into her body.

The power of his counter forced her torso to twist in the opposite direction of her attack. She used the momentum to rotate the entirety of her body. Once her left foot touched the ground, she anchored it and swung the right back into a spinning kick.

He jumped away from the attack, landing just out of range of her heel.

By the time her toes hit the dirt, he was on the offensive again.

He lunged forward, leading with the baton. His body was narrow and angled in what mimicked a back stance, as if he was just trying to stab her with the stick instead of slashing her with it.

She moved on a diagonal so that her right side was to his back in order to sidestep the advance. Seizing the opportunity, she latched onto his left wrist at the start of her turn, determined to use the force of her rotation to throw him away from her.

Instead, he twisted his arm, first bringing it away from himself in the direction of her pull, then shifting his elbow down into a swooping motion once her left foot lifted from the ground – almost as if _he_ was attempting to throw her himself. Her loss of stability allowed him to follow through with his elbow, moving it upwards over his head until he broke free. He rotated on his right leg and completed his spin so that he was facing her once more, the left side behind him and his chest perpendicular to her.

The defensive move contorted her body, forcing her to release him. Korra spun until she was in a similar stance as his, but with her left side forward instead. The fire raged, urging her on. She sent a powerful roundhouse towards his now-exposed ribs with her back leg.

He swung his right leg behind him to move his torso out of her heel's path. He followed through with his baton, using the end to clip the back of her ankle to parry the attack.

While her boot protected her from the electricity, the force still sent her into an off balance rotation. She slammed her right foot into the ground and pivoted into another spinning back kick, aimed right for his face.

He wasn't expecting the second kick, but managed to smash the middle of his baton into her leg to shift it upward, using the split second that he could withstand the power of the attack to spin underneath her arc. He slid the weapon away to save it from flying out of his grasp.

Korra finished her kick and swung her leg behind her, her right side now facing her aggressor.

His rotation allowed him to mirror her stance, the baton facing her.

Her blue eyes were intense, her pupils spitting metaphoric fire at the Striker. Her panting and sweating didn't seem to stop. She could feel the blue-gray irises of her parents on her, as well as Asami's peridots. She stared into the man's glowing-green sockets, determined to defeat him.

He felt a similar need to break her, to destroy her in her place, though his rage was fueled more by hatred than survival. He stepped to the right, trying to get an angle on her.

She matched the movement.

He repeated.

So did she.

They circled around an invisible center point, neither one of them attacking, each of them burning holes in the other with their glares.

Korra used this opportunity to gather her strength. He wasn't like the other Strikers – that was for sure – and it would take a _lot_ more to take him down. While it had seemed as though she had met her match, she was too stubborn and adrenaline-filled to let that hold her back. She waited for him to slide his foot to the right again, just as he had been during their little 'dance'. The moment he did, she stepped to her left and tucked her right leg for a roundhouse.

He pivoted on his right foot by instinct and rotated his left until it was behind him to move out of her kicking range.

Little did he know that was _exactly_ what she wanted him to do.

Instead of swinging out the roundhouse, she pushed on her back leg to lunge forward, her bent knee already extending to the ground. She rotated on the ball of her foot the instant it touched the dirt and tucked her other leg. Within a split second, she sent a raging spinning kick his way, successful in faking her first attack.

The move took him off guard. She was much too close to him for an evasion, even if he had ducked; she was smart enough to aim for his torso instead of his head.

Smart, or too _tired_ to lift her leg any higher.

He took a firm grip on each end of his baton, moving it over his center to catch her ankle. While the heel didn't hit him, it wasn't enough to stop the force of the blow. The move sent him flying backwards, his footing not quite strong enough to hold him in place. He bounced off of the frozen dirt and tumbled. Once his rolling stopped, he climbed back to his feet a few yards away from her.

She was already charging towards him the second he dug his toes into the ground to rise.

He shifted his stance so that the center of his body was facing her and dodged her right punch by an inch. The left one came and missed just as fast with another slip.

Korra tried a right hook, only for him to avoid it with an outward arc of his torso. She ducked under his right cross and grabbed onto her own wrist with her left hand. She took a step forward and twisted her upper body with impeccable speed, using her grip to steady and aim her right elbow.

He brought his baton up from his hip and snuck it into the small opening between Korra's arms and chest. He used it as a hook as he pivoted on his right foot, pulling on her back elbow with the middle of the stick. Once he was out of her path, he pushed the weapon forward and removed it from her body, effectively sending her away from him.

She spun around on her left leg and fixed her footing, her hands separated and up at her face. The flames spread into her limbs.

The Striker was already on her like stink on sewage. He swung at her with his baton, sweeping it from the left to the right.

Korra took a step back to dodge the attack.

He repeated – right to left this time – advancing a few feet with each strike.

She performed the same maneuver again and again, too tired to do anything else. He was wearing her down and forcing her towards the tree line of the clearing. She could see now why he waited until the end to fight her; if she wasn't defeated by the time the first twenty got through, she would at least be _exhausted_ when it was his turn.

 _You've got to do something. You can't just keep evading._

She shut her thoughts down right away; this wasn't the time for them to come back. She trusted her instincts and followed whatever force was guiding her through the fight, the mysterious strength that she had pulled from time and time again. Fire raged inside of her, and it _burned_.

Another swing of the baton and she rolled forward, right underneath his arc.

He rotated and was facing her by the time she was on her feet.

She led with a right cross given their close proximity, taking a step forward as she attacked.

He pushed her arm away with an outward sweep of his baton.

She used the momentum to send a left hook to his torso.

He blocked it with his forearm and forced her away.

She followed the motion with another right fist and an advance in her footwork.

Just as she expected, he caught her with his baton. Instead of swinging her fist away, he tried to circle his weapon around her wrist to twist her to her left, in order to stop her next hook.

Big mistake.

She held her ground for just a moment, using the opening to throw her back leg right up into his groin.

He was helpless to stop her.

Before he could fall, she tucked her knee again and sent a powerful front kick right into his abdomen.

The Striker flew backwards, rolling until he smashed into the tree nearby. He sunk into the ground – baton still in hand – as he gasped for breath.

This time, he didn't get up.

It took her a moment to come out of whatever zone she was in. She was panting and sweating. Soon, her limbs started shaking from the exertion. She collapsed onto her hands and knees and closed her eyes as she inhaled, trying to gain composure. It was the most intense fight she had ever been in – and given her previous days of exhaustion and fatigue – it was the most _tolling_. Every bruise she got from blocking and parrying, every scrape and contusion she received from falling and rolling on the ground, started to become apparent. They ached. They throbbed. In fact, _all_ of her did, including her mind. She lowered her head, her loose hair falling on each side of her face, as she fought to recover. The flames calmed down, dimming from a raging blaze into a stable glow. Realization dawned on her with each frantic breath.

 _I did it. I won._

"Korra?"

She twisted upon hearing her name, having forgotten that anyone was even there in the clearing.

"Asami!" Korra ran to her side – ignoring the rush of blood to her head – and knelt beside her, hands hovering over the engineer's body. "Are you alright? Can you move? What did they do to you?"

Asami shook her head. "I can't move my arms or legs. I know they're there, but I can't… I don't know what happened. They jabbed me a few times, and it was like I lost the ability to control my body."

Korra rolled the woman onto her back, wincing at the tear in her jacket where the baton ripped through to her skin. "Don't worry, Asami. I'll take care of you. I'll protect you." She wrapped her arms around Asami and tightened her hold on her torso. "You're safe with me. I won't let anything else happen to you." She released her and set her onto the ground with care. Her tan fingers ran over a small bruise on her pale cheek, her hand shaking to the touch.

She looked up to scan the area. The sight of her fallen polar bear dog caught her eye. Korra slid her arms under Asami's knees and back – the latter through the crook of her shoulder. She cradled the raven to her chest like a sleeping child as she lifted her. Her shaky legs brought them to her animal companion. She rested the heiress in an upright position against Naga's belly and brushed the black locks out of her face. Korra remained there for a moment, her hands buried in her dark hair.

A soft sound escaped her polar bear dog, drawing her attention away.

"Are you okay, Naga?" Korra rose and hurried over to the animal's head. She stroked the white fur by her eyes.

She mewled and tried to move her snout towards Korra, only to fall short.

"It's gonna be okay, girl. I'll get us out of this. _Somehow_." She stood and glanced around, her eyes falling on her forgotten parents. She rushed over to her mother first and rolled her onto her back. "Mom…"

"I'm okay, sweetie." Senna wanted nothing more than to brush her daughter's cheek or hold her hand or give her a hug. Alas, she was in the same paralyzed state.

"I'm gonna carry you over to Asami, okay? It'll be easier to protect you if you're all together. I don't know if any more of those Striker people are going to come…"

Her mother nodded and closed her eyes as Korra lifted her from the ground.

"Nice and easy." Korra set her down beside Asami a foot or two apart. She turned to her father and approached him, ignoring some of the groaning Strikers around her. "I don't know if I'll be able to lift you, dad. I might just have to drag you."

He chuckled. "Just be gentle, alright?"

Korra bobbed and slid her hands under her dad's shoulders. She gripped his torso and lifted him until the back of his head was against her. She hauled the Water Tribe Warrior through the frozen dirt across the camp. The flames of the fire died down to a dim glow. The area was starting to lighten with the movement of the clouds from the direct path of the moon. "What did they do to you, dad? Do you have any idea?"

He shook his head. "I have no clue. All I know is that the second they jabbed my arms, I couldn't feel my chi and Bend anymore. I couldn't even _move_ them."

"Wait… you couldn't feel your chi? Like, it was blocked?"

He nodded, his eyes heavy from exhaustion.

She furrowed her brow, panting as she pulled her father to Naga.

 _Why does that seem familiar? Blocking chi?_

Korra ignored it for now, too tired to rack her brain on the matter. She positioned him next to his wife and surveyed her surroundings. Her eyes fell on the half-standing ice tent she had slept in not too long ago.

 _The books._

Korra scurried over and ripped her bag from the structure, ignoring the clothes and pelt littering the inside. She set the carrier next to Asami and knelt beside them once more. "Stay here. Let me know if you see anything, okay?"

They nodded in unison as she rose to her feet. The three of them watched her as she searched for the last Striker she fought.

He was shaking on his hands and knees, struggling for breath near another fallen Striker. The baton had returned to the holster on his back.

Korra growled and clenched both her fists and her teeth. She approached the pair with angry eyes.

"Warship, are you alright?" The man beside him muttered, reaching out for his comrade.

He had no time to reply.

She latched onto the collar of his uniform and lifted him until his insteps were against the ground. The flames started to flick back to life inside of her. "Who are you? Why did you attack us?"

The Striker didn't answer, a scowl crossing his lips. He took a breath and spit right into Korra's face.

If Tonraq and Asami were able to move, they would have lunged right at the man, no questions asked. Asami would have disabled him and Tonraq… the man probably wouldn't have made it out alive if Tonraq could move.

The key word being _if._

Their attempts to jump up were actually just anger-filled lurches of their heads. It almost forced them to fall over from imbalance.

"You son of a _bitch_." Korra pushed him into the tree behind him, slamming his baton and spine right into the bark. Her anger surmounted that of her parents and her friend _combined_.

Warship winced in pain, unable to move against the forearm jammed in his chest.

Korra used the band on her left arm to wipe the vile fluid off of her cheek. The fire inside of her filled her from her head to her toes. She increased the pressure of her pinning arm. "You _fucking son of a bitch_." She latched her free hand onto the corner of his mask, determined to see the face of the man who _dared_ to attack her, her family, her friends. The man who _dared_ to spit in her fucking face.

He resisted the best he could, grabbing onto her wrist with one of his hands. "Get off of me!"

Unfortunate for him, she was stronger than he could have ever imagined.

She pushed him further into the bark, sending a sharp pain down his back. She angled herself to hold his abdomen with hers and to pin one of his shoulders with a shift in her elbow. She gritted her teeth, her hand alone slashing through the elastic-like fabric. With another tear, she ripped the front half of the mask right off of the Striker, breaking through his defensive grip.

What she saw before her made her heart drop. She almost released him from shock alone, but her subconscious knew better. Though she kept him in position, the pressure on him lessened. Her eyes widened and everything inside of her stopped for a moment.

"Sentai?"

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	8. It was you

Hello everyone! I apologize profusely for how long it's been since I've updated. Things have been super busy with exams and ceremonies and stuff this past week, not to mention the lockdown that happened on my campus tonight. But I wanted to try and make the effort to post tonight since I read through the chapter yesterday for final edits. Hope you enjoy it. And thank-you for all of your support, kudos, and wonderful comments. They give me strength in my times of need. I love you all.

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Chapter 8

 **It was you**

"Y – You – you're part of the Strikers?"

He tried to squirm away, but Korra was having none of it.

She forced him into the tree and held him there. "You? It was fucking _you_? _You're_ the one who attacked us? After all the shit you put me through last semester in chemistry class? After every fucking thing you and Kuru did to me? What's your fucking _problem_ , huh? What have you got against me? Is it because the Dean embarrassed you in front of your class? Huh?!" She increased the pressure on his chest, stabbing his own eyes with hers. The fire continued to rage inside of her; she could feel it in every cell. "Or is it because I'm from the Water Tribe, because I'm a _snow savage_?" Her nose was mere inches from his, every ounce of her expression full of ire. "Answer me! All the shit you put me through. The attack now, almost _killing_ us. What have you got against the Water Tribe? What have you –"

Her face fell flat. The blood drained from her skin. Her heart plunged at the realization.

 _"My mommy was a Water Bender."_

 _"She tried to fight them and protect me, but they shocked her with their gloves. The man – the man with the electric stick, he – he – he was the one, the one that ki – killed –"_

"It was **_YOU_** _!_ " Korra slammed him against the tree again. She took her forearm off of his chest and clenched both hands around his throat. " _You_ _!_ " She growled as she lifted him off the ground. She refused to let go of him, refused to release this wretched man from her grip. The flames consumed her. Red rage blinded her sight.

 _Korra! Korra, stop._

" _You_ were the one! _You_ were the one who killed her. _You killed Ahyoka's mother_ _!_ "

 _Korra: calm down,_ _now_ _._

She wouldn't relent. Her palms were almost burning-hot against his skin.

"You _killed_ her. You set her house on fire. It was _you_ _!_ "

 _Korra, what are you doing? Stop this! This – this isn't you. Stop!_

Sentai struggled for air. He scowled and looked into the fiery eyes boring into his. "So the savage child lived," he choked out his question, but chuckled his response, "what a shame."

Korra lifted him further up, her arms shaking in absolute fury. "You son of a bitch. You son of a _fucking bitch_. You don't even care. You destroyed her life, and _you don't even_ _care_!"

 _Korra. Stop._ _Now._

She was blind in her ire. His legs dangled against her. She was oblivious to everything around her except for the pupils staring back into hers, filled with nothing but hate for her, pride in his actions, and a hint of what she believed to be… cunning?

 _Korra! You need to stop this or you're going to_ _kill_ _him!_

She blinked for a second, part of her head clearing out the beclouding rage. Her grip on him lessened just a bit.

Just enough.

"Korra, look out!"

It was too late.

Sentai managed to pull the baton from his back while she strangled him. Before she knew it, he drove the electrified end right into the center of her chest, stabbing her with what appeared to be a very small, hidden blade at the point.

"Korra!" Asami's call was almost blood curdling.

Senna and Tonraq tried to reach out to her, but couldn't.

The shock overwhelmed her. It took only a second or two for it to debilitate her, to bring her plummeting to the ground. Her drop forced the blade to go deeper, cutting up her skin before the burn of the current could close the wound. The pain was too much. Her heart raced in an erratic pattern from the horrifying electric pulse. She crashed into the frozen dirt and curled into herself, her hands against her chest to calm both the jolt and the bleeding. Everything churned inside of her. The flames and eddies of energy moved back and forth in a confused pattern.

Warship slammed down next to her, laying on his side while he coughed and hacked for breath. His hands were to his throat, the sparks in the corners of his eyes becoming less frequent with each life-restoring inhale.

Korra shut her lids and winced. While the baton had long lost contact with her skin, the electricity was still rampant within her. Her whole body jumped and twitched when an occasional loose stream coiled from her insides to the ground underneath her. A vibrant buzz radiated in her core. She opened her eyes and stared with anger at the man in front of her, though her sight was flipping between blurry and focused. She tried to push herself up, but the motion was too much. Korra dropped once more, her limbs shaking.

Sentai rose to his feet with the assistance of the tree beside him. His steps were rickety as he made his way over to Korra. He gathered his strength and kicked her ribs with excessive force.

The pain was enough to force a small cry from her lungs.

He smashed his foot into her abdomen again, forcing her to roll to her other side. He stomped on her several times before pushing her onto her back with the toes of his boot.

"Leave her alone!" Asami screamed, fire burning in her eyes.

Sentai chuckled and circled the bleeding girl.

Korra attempted to turn away from him – still unable to get her footing – but he prevented her from doing so with a heel to her throat. Her airway closed to the pressure of his body weight. She latched onto his leg with both hands, failing to remove it. She could feel the life draining from her. Sparks started to creep into the corners of her eyes.

He bent down until he was a few inches from her face and smiled at the turn of events. While he wanted to kill the others first, she would just have to be the starter instead. He brought the electrified end of the baton to the left side of her neck, keeping it close enough for the hum to reverberate in her ear, but far enough away so that it didn't _quite_ touch her – blade and electric pulses included. The stench of his breath filled the air around her. "Any last words, _snow savage_?"

She wanted to fight. She wanted to spit in his face. She wanted to tell him to fuck off. But she could do none of those things. All she _could_ do was watch this man kill her: stab her in the neck, just as he had done to Ahyoka's mother. She fought the tears that formed from the thought and held them further when she imagined what he would do to her parents and Asami. Now was not the time to show him any weakness, even if there was nothing she could do to stop him. Her limbs wouldn't respond. Nothing worked. She had gotten lost in her anger, let it get the best of her – let it do _exactly_ the thing that she had been trying to prevent with her trip to the Fire Nation.

 _Maybe… maybe I can…_

Korra reached a hand up to him, hoping by some means of the Spirits that a flame would shoot out of her fingertips. Her internal sun wasn't enough. Her anger wasn't enough. Her breath wasn't enough. The chi just wouldn't flow.

Warship flicked the arm away and it fell to her side in a weak flop. "Pathetic. That's exactly what you are; _pathetic_. You're _nothing_ , you hear me? _Nothing_ _._ You have _never_ been and you never _will_ be _anything_ but a piece of worthless, _snow savage_ _trash_."

"You're… you're _wrong_ _…_ " she choked out, blackness almost consuming her. It battled with the flames inside of her, the former trying to bring her to a dark end while the latter fought for a chance to live. She caught a flick of the fire, just a little piece, just enough to give her a last ounce of strength. "You're wrong!" She coiled her fallen arm and extended it with all the might that she could. Her fist landed right into the left side of his jaw. Pain shot up her arm, and she was sure she broke a knuckle again.

The blow was enough to knock him off of Korra. He crawled to his hands and knees and cradled his injury, spitting blood.

Korra rolled away the second he fell. She coughed and hacked for breath, holding her throat in a similar fashion as he had when _he_ escaped her clutch. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, the electric buzz still radiating from her chest. A large portion of the front of her shirt was stained red from her wound.

They locked eyes and staggered to their feet, the Southerner panting and sweating much more than the Striker. The pair stared at each other, waiting for one to succumb to their injuries.

Her legs were shaking. The pulsing in her chest was too much. With a desperate breath, she clutched her center and dropped to a single knee.

He walked up to her – baton in hand – and pointed in her direction. He kept his distance, refusing to underestimate her again.

"Get the hell away from her, you bastard!" Tonraq growled, his voice deep and angry. "If you so much as _look_ at my daughter again, I will _fucking_ _kill_ you!" Tonraq raged from his spot on the ground, his limbs still unable to move. Senna and Asami were lying beside him, looking just as angry and horrified as he did.

Sentai glanced up at him with amusement in his eyes. "And what is it exactly that you're going to do, mighty Warrior of the North? Head-butt me from the _ground_?" He chuckled until he noticed something was _off_.

 _Wait a min–_

He was flying through the air before the realization could even come together into a coherent mental sentence. He flew and smashed into the ground, baton rolling far away from him. Warship lifted his head – unable to rise from the shock – to see the massive polar bear dog taking trembling steps in front of her human companion, snarling with her teeth bared.

 _H – how? The animal was chi blocked. I saw it with my own eyes._

 _It must have worn off enough for it to move._

 _Dammit_ _._

Korra stumbled to her feet, using Naga's harness as a support to pull herself up. She held a bloody hand to her chest, trying to add pressure for the wound to clot. Though the edges were burned, the injury was wider than she would have thought. It gave her body a run for its money as her heart raced on. "Thank-you… Naga…"

She barked and rubbed her head into the Southerner's side to hold her up, indifferent to any blood that might have gotten on her white fur.

Korra's mind was a bit woozy from everything that had happened; the fatigue, the fight, the loss of blood and air, the electric pulse alone... She staggered over to the paralyzed trio and dropped to her knees beside them. She put a shaking hand on Asami's shoulder and locked onto her peridots, though she was afraid to see the emotion in her eyes. The only thing she could decipher from her greens was relief. "Asami…" She removed her palm so that she could wipe a tear away from the raven's pale cheek.

Several of the Strikers around them groaned. Some of them twitched as they fought to get to their feet.

"We have to get out of here, Korra."

She eyed her father and nodded. "You're right." She twisted around and called Naga closer. Panic started to cross her when her peripherals alerted her to the struggling Strikers in the darkness. "Bend down, girl. We've got to get them in your saddle, okay?"

Naga barked and flattened herself the best she could. She kept her head up and her eyes on Sentai and the other Strikers, a deep snarl escaping her.

Korra pushed herself to her feet. "I guess it's a good thing I forgot to take this off of you earlier, huh, Naga?"

She gave her a mixed expression and howl.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll take it off next time when we _aren't_ being attacked." Korra spun around and slid her arms under Asami. She lifted her and swayed, her body at her limits. "This isn't going to be pleasant." She shifted her weight and half-slid, half-tossed the engineer onto the polar bear dog's back.

Asami landed with an 'oomph' and a reassurance that she was okay.

"Korra, we need to _hurry_."

She took a moment to survey the area. The moonlight was strengthening and so were the Strikers.

 _Shit_.

She rushed over to her mother and carried her in her arms, a bit frantic in her movements.

Senna faced the same tossing fate as Asami. Lucky for them, she landed a few feet away instead of on _top_ of the heiress.

The Strikers were getting sturdier. Even Sentai was on his feet, wandering to his baton with a hand on his abdomen.

"Korra, they're closing in. Leave me. You have to get out of here."

"I'm _not_ abandoning you. I could _never_ do that to you." Korra buried her hands under her father's shoulders and pulled him with all of her strength towards the polar bear dog. She leaned him against the animal and grabbed her bag before climbing into the saddle. She tossed it beside her, in between her mother and her friend.

"Don't just stand there, men. _Get her_." Sentai called to his comrades, his electrified stick pointing at the Water Tribe girl.

 _Shit!_

They charged at her, their own sparking weapons at the ready.

She leaned down and latched onto Tonraq's robes. "Go, Naga, go!"

The polar bear dog sprang into action, sprinting on a tipsy path away from the circling Strikers.

Korra struggled to hold onto her father, who was bouncing off of the ground as Naga ran. She groaned and dug her heels into the base of the pillion, using her leg strength to try and pull him to safety.

Asami and Senna crashed into each other – the bag between them – as they slid into the back. Their bodies skipped and mushed into the rear of the saddle, the curve of the seat keeping them from falling off.

Naga ran through the forest, the Strikers close to her tail until they escaped the clearing. She had no idea _where_ she was going; all she knew was that she had to _keep_ going. She ducked under branches, contorted around trunks, and leapt over any obstacle in her path.

"I've almost got you, dad!" Korra gritted her teeth, using the last surge of energy in her to lift him onto her torso and into the seat. She pushed on his shoulders until he rolled off of her, most of his body in the saddle. She sighed in relief, bracing herself against the recoil of Naga's running.

 _Naga._

She crawled to the front end of her animal companion and grabbed the small handles that acted as reigns. She sat and leaned forward – loose hair whipping in the wind – as they sped through the forest.

"Korra, do you know where you're going?" Asami called from the back, enough feeling returning to her hands to allow her to grip the side of the saddle.

"I have no idea! I'm just trying to get _away_." She looked over her shoulder and watched the engineer move a bit closer, freeing herself from Senna's body and the bag alike.

"We can go to my Estate. We'll be safe there and it's not too far from here, now that we have Naga."

Korra nodded and brought her attention back to the path in front of her. She directed Naga around a large boulder, causing all three of her passengers to slide on the back. "Just tell me where to go, Asami! Naga will get us there."

Asami crawled towards Senna and Tonraq, her limbs coming back to her in small amounts. She didn't know why, considering she was the last of them to get attacked – or _blocked_ , as she had heard Korra mention. Perhaps it had something to do with her lack of overuse of her chi to fight and move. Or perhaps it was just luck. Either way, she had to do _something_. She pulled Tonraq closer to Senna and held them down so they wouldn't bounce away, using their own body weight to keep the bag in place.

 _Why did she take the time to grab this?_

 _The book, Asami. The book that she showed you._

She glanced over at Korra – staring at her for a minute – before attempting to get her bearings. The improvement in the lighting certainly helped. She squinted and scanned. "Just try to get out of the forest, Korra."

"Will do." She gripped the reigns and focused all of her efforts on the task at hand. She ignored her exhaustion, ignored the buzzing and throbbing inside of her, ignored her bleeding. All of these were things she could fix later. Right now, she had to get them to safety – wherever that may be.

Within a few minutes, Naga burst out of the tree line and headed towards the fringes of the City.

Asami recognized their location in an instant. "Move along the edge of the forest, Korra. It'll take us up to the Dragon Flats District. We can take the eastern bridge to the central jut of the City. From there, we have to get to the outskirts to the east, near the mountains. That's where my Estate is."

"Got it!" She directed Naga just as Asami instructed her to.

The moon was beginning its final descent as they made their way to the Sato Mansion. The clouds seemed to be getting heavier and stronger the closer they got. Korra, on the other hand, was fading, but she hung on. She _had_ to. If she didn't, they wouldn't make it. If she didn't, they might die.

If she didn't, _she_ might die.

 _Gotta get them to safety. Gotta… get… safe…_

(-)


	9. The report

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I posted. Life and things... ugh. I wish I had more time to write. Anyway, here's the latest chapter! I'm going to try and post more soon ^_^

Chapter 52

 **The report**

They sped along in their weary exhaustion. Naga's paws slammed against the cement as she ran, crossing the very narrow bridge with much discomfort. The closer they got to the Estate, the more the strength returned to Asami's body.

"Head east here, Korra," she directed the moment they hit the mainland.

Korra steered her polar bear dog into a sharp right, forcing Asami to clutch onto the Southern couple's clothes to hold them in place.

"Easy, Korra!"

"Sorry."

Asami glanced behind her, searching for any signs of pursuers. She spun back around and eyed Korra, who was slouching a bit at the reigns. "Are you alright, Korra?"

There was only a faint nod as a response.

She glimpsed between the brunette at the front and the pair in the back, the latter of which was relying on her to stay on board. "Make a left here, Korra. We'll go to the eastern side. There's more cover there because of the forest."

"Got it."

Naga made another turn – this one less frantic than the last. She paced along at a constant speed, tongue flapping in the corner of her mouth.

"Keep going, girl. You can do it." Korra dug her fingers into her polar bear dog's fur, leaving a faint trail of blood against the white of her coat.

The group moved further away from Republic City and into the mountains, entering another darkened forest. Many painful minutes later of dodgy maneuvering and they were out of the tree line. A large structure was faint in their sight. Some of the windows were lit with a dim, yellow light, while the rest of the illumination came from small lanterns around the perimeter.

"There it is!" Asami pointed, relief in her voice. "Head northeast, Korra. We'll hop the gates and head to the back garage."

She bobbed her head and directed Naga. "Think you can make this jump, girl?"

Naga barked and sped up. With a deep breath, she pushed off of her thin, but strong, back legs. Her front paws grasped onto the edge of the wall, forcing everyone to jolt back from the sudden stop.

Korra gripped onto the reigns and Asami held onto Korra's parents to keep them on the polar bear dog's back. They all hollered in trepidation, ignoring the drop below them.

Naga's back claws scraped against the brick until she got her footing. She pulled and pushed herself up onto the barrier with a huff of her breath. After a brief pause to fill her lungs, she hopped down and landed with an odd sort of grace, though all of her passengers bounced from the collision. She sprinted along, trusting Korra to steer her in the right direction.

There wasn't a single person in sight outside. No Satomobiles were out, no servants or workers traveling to and fro. To be honest, Asami preferred it this way; she didn't want one of them to see the group coming in like _this_. She scanned the area, looking for an easy way in.

"Over there, to the left!" Asami shot her arm out, her finger aiming at an open garage door the instant her eyes fell on it.

 _Wait,_ _why_ _is that door open? It shouldn't be open at this time at night…_

 _Maybe dad isn't home yet._

 _Or he left for the office early._

 _Maybe. But he usually leaves through the front._

She scowled at the frame in contemplation.

Korra – on the other hand – steered Naga towards the entrance, ropes tight in her hands. She needed to get out of the cold, to get out of all of this mess, to get out of her clothes and get _healed_. Most of all, she needed rest, a deep, sincere, warranted sleep, one that wasn't threatened by nightmares, migraines, or crazy Strikers trying to kill her.

 _Almost… there…_

They burst through the opening with ease. A light flicked on from their motion, revealing a large array of Satomobiles surrounding them. Naga dug her feet into the ground, forcing the passengers to fly forward from her screeching halt. Asami crashed into the back of Korra. The other Southerners tumbled towards the front as well. Naga was inches from ramming into one of the vehicles but managed to stop just in time.

Asami sighed in relief and pushed herself off of Korra. She hopped down from Naga's back, wasting no time. Her landing was a bit rough, forcing her ankle to twist, but the pain was miniscule. She ran to the door and slammed her hand into a button near the frame, forcing the exit to seal itself.

 _There. Finally. We're safe._

She eyed the bottom edge until it collided with the pavement. At the same moment, she dropped to her knees, the exertion too much for her still-recovering body.

"Asami!" Korra slid off of her now-sitting polar bear dog and jogged over to the heiress; it was the only speed she could manage at this point. She knelt beside her, their fronts facing. "Are you alright?"

Her peridots met the oceans before her, the blood and other wounds apparent in her peripherals. There were a few bruises and small cuts around her face, and quite a bit of discoloration around her throat. "I'm pretty sure I should be asking _you_ that."

She smiled. "I'm fine. Sorta. I'm just glad we got away."

"Me, too." Asami pushed herself to her feet, bringing Korra with her. "Stay here with your parents. I'm going to go find my dad and tell him we're here and to get some people to help us inside."

She nodded. "Alright. I'll – I'll stay… here."

"Easy, Korra!" She caught the brunette as she swayed. "I'll help you over to Naga, okay?"

She bobbed her head, which was getting rather light.

Asami led her with shaky legs of her own to the resting polar bear dog. She lowered Korra to the ground against the animal. Worry spread across her face. "Just relax. Rest." She straightened and headed towards a door near the center of the garage. "And keep an eye on them, Naga. If anything happens, take them and run. Got it?"

Naga barked and buried her head into Korra's side.

Korra's arms wrapped around the animal's jowls on instinct, though her grip was loose.

Asami glanced at the group for a moment, fingers around the handle, before heading into the Estate to speak to her father.

(-)

Asami travelled along the stairs of the empty corridors with weary legs. She leaned against the railing with all of her might, using it as her life support. She trudged up the steps, one painful push at a time, until she reached the landing leading to her father's bedroom. She walked along the wall, sliding her palms against the free space of the decorated hallway to keep herself standing. The closer she got to his chambers, the quieter her steps became. She grew more confident in her footing and more put together in her demeanor. She brushed her clothes off and straightened her hair, trying to minimize the damaged look in her appearance.

She stopped outside of his door and listened. With a deep breath, she knocked on the fancy wood of the entrance. When there was no response, she turned the handle.

"Dad?"

She poked her head inside to find the chambers empty. The bed was a bit messy, but the covers were tossed over the top, which marked either the beginning or end of Hiroshi Sato's day.

 _Maybe he's in his office._

She shut the door as quiet as she could and tiptoed down the corridor to her father's study. It was at the end of the long hallway, and by the time she got halfway there, she improved her appearance and energy by double the previous amount. She stopped by one of the reflective glass displays and slipped on a little more makeup to cover up some of her cuts using the little bag she kept in her loose pants pocket, ignoring the vase in the case as she did so. She always had a touch up kit with her, all the way back before her days at the university with Korra. It wouldn't be the _first_ time she had used it to hide an injury from her father, and she admitted to herself that it probably wouldn't be the last.

Of course this wasn't the _original_ intention of her bringing the bag along; she brought it with her when she left her Estate a day or so ago because she wanted to look her best for Korra when they met back up for lunch. A mild blush hit her cheeks and Asami shook it off, knowing now was _definitely_ not the time for such thoughts. She slid the carrier back into her pocket and continued on towards her father's office, noticing its mild tapping against her skin for the first time after everything she had been through with the search for Korra. She could hear the radio playing – its sound faint – as she approached his workspace. Each step cleared the audio until it was crisp enough for her to hear:

"It's a bit chilly out there, citizens, so make sure that you bundle up today. There's a possibility it might snow, so make sure you've got those boots on too and – what's this? I – I've just been handed a special notice by my producer and – oh, dear. Listen up, Republic City dwellers. The northwestern end of the Downtown District is _not_ safe. I repeat, is _not_ safe. Much of the area has been closed off by the police, who are searching for fugitives in the District. Members of the organization known as the 'Strikers' have reportedly broken into the police headquarters in a premeditated prison break. Officials state that no officer was killed in the affair, but the on-duty cops were found on the scene stunned and unable to move. Smoke weaponry and electromagnetic pulse devices were used during the escape. It was determined that an upward of twenty to thirty people were removed from the prison with the aid of the Strikers, who managed to reach all the way into the underground holding cells in the station. The police are issuing an alert for all citizens to avoid this area for their own safety. If anyone has any information on this event or on the Strikers, the Chief of Police, Lin Beifong, urges you to contact them at –"

A ringing telephone interrupted the broadcast, forcing Hiroshi to turn down the volume dial on the radio.

Asami was at the door, her hands shaking from the report she just heard. She was too shocked to enter, so she stood outside, motionless, as her father spoke into the phoning device.

"Hello?"

A pause.

"No, you're not interrupting anything. I'm just sipping tea and listening to the news broadcast before I head back to work."

Another pause.

A chuckle.

"Yes, it _does_ seem like I've been working earlier and earlier these days. Future Industries can't run itself, that's for sure."

Pause.

"Yes, yes I _have_ heard what happened."

Pause.

"Yes, it _is_ terrible. No one was hurt."

Pause.

"I suppose."

Pause.

"Yes, I sent a shipment to you a few days ago. It should be in the warehouse right now for you to perform a trial run with."

Pause.

A pound of a fist.

"What?! What do you _mean_ the prototype gloves are missing? Where could they have gone? I used the utmost security when I sent them to you. _No one_ should have known about them."

Pause.

"Petty thieves? This is _sensitive_ merchandise that could _change_ the way we operate. You mean to tell me that your security is so terrible that _petty thieves_ were able to steal the shipment?"

Pause.

"Yes, I understand, but if someone found out about –"

Pause.

"Well, you better _damn well_ find them. _Now!_ "

The slam of the receiver back into its holster mirrored the drop of Asami's heart in her chest.

 _No._

She backed away from the door in disbelief. Another ring of his phone reverberated within her. She was out of earshot from her father's conversation by the time he answered the call.

 _He – he wouldn't. He_ _couldn't_ _._

Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

 _It must be a mistake. It_ _has_ _to be. Some misunderstanding._

She stepped behind her until she collided with a small vase display. She spun around and caught the object before it could fall or make any sort of noise. The raven couldn't ignore the horrible feeling in her gut, the instinct that told her to _run_ , to run far, far away.

 _If this is true…_

 _No, it's not. It_ _can't_ _be._

 _If he is…_

The group was in no condition for a fight, and she knew it. Hell, even _she_ wasn't prepared for combat; she was hardly even equipped to hide her wounds and exhaustion.

 _I – I have to get out of here._ _We_ _have to get out of here._

She would have to leave the issue for another day. Korra was bleeding. Senna and Tonraq were immobile. Her only hopes were herself and the tired polar bear dog in the garage, and that wasn't enough. It wasn't that she even _believed_ her downhill thoughts in their entirety, but she couldn't neglect that pounding instinct. While her mind defended him, her gut told her to just _go_.

So she did.

Asami spun on her heel and bolted, ignoring the pain in her legs and the knot in her throat. She flew down the stairs – skipping every other step – and moved along the shadows. Lucky for her, the servants weren't awake at this hour. She burst through the door and shut it behind her, leaning her spine against the exit to keep it closed, as if she were being chased by someone or something that wanted to consume her.

"Asami? Are you o –"

"We have to get out of here. It's not safe." She approached them with a mixture of flames in her eyes.

"What do you _mean_ , Asami? You said it _would_ be." Tonraq called from Naga's back, his torso pushed up a bit now that movement was returning to him.

"Well, I was _wrong_. We have to leave." She walked around them and slammed the garage door button with a shaky hand. The lifting of the metal revealed the pounding rain outside; the clouds had finally let loose and its chill forced the group into a subtle shiver.

"Why, Asami? Is everything okay?" Korra struggled onto her feet, swaying a bit from the blood rush.

Asami returned to the Southerners with a vortex of emotions. Her ears were ringing. "Korra, we _need_ to leave." She put her hands on the woman's shoulders and squeezed them. "Please trust me. If we don't, the Strikers will find us, and not only will they kill us, they'll kill my father, too, for harboring us. I – I can't let that happen. He's the only family I have left. They can't take him away from me!" She released her and made her way to the sitting polar bear dog.

"But how would they even be able to find and get into this place, Asami? It's in the mountains and it's got giant walls!" Korra turned to her and waved her arms in exaggeration to her last statement.

"That won't _matter,_ Korra. I just heard a report on the radio when I went to talk to my dad. The Strikers broke into the police headquarters and busted out a few dozen people at the same time that we were being attacked."

"There… there's _more_ of them?"

She nodded. "There would have to be at least double what we fought today to pull off a heist like that, if not triple. If they can get through those security measures, _and_ the ones in the underground holding cells, then I'm pretty sure they'll be able to scale a bunch of fucking walls." There was a bit of wavering in her voice. It was all too much for her.

 _He couldn't have._

Korra met her at Naga's side and put a palm over Asami's hand, which was gripping the chord of the harness so she could climb up. "It's going to be okay. We'll get out of here, and the Strikers won't come after you if it's just you and your dad in the Estate instead of all of us."

She shook her head. "That won't work. They know who I am; they'll want revenge for what we did to their men. At least Sentai will. He won't stop until we're both dead, you _know_ that. No, we _have_ to leave. If we go soon enough, perhaps they won't think my father was involved at all and will leave him alone."

 _Because he isn't. He would_ _never_ _do something like this._

Asami wedged her foot between the polar bear dog and the strap and pulled herself up onto the animal's back. "It's not safe for us here – or _anywhere_ in the City – for that matter. Not while the Strikers are at large…" She offered a hand to the Southerner, internally shaking away the guilt from her partial lie. "We have to leave. _Now_."

After a moment of hesitation, Korra accepted it. "Go, Naga, go!"

Naga jumped to her feet and leapt out of the garage. She sprinted towards the same spot on the wall that she scaled before. It didn't take long for the cold rain to soak them, but there was nothing they could do about it: Senna and Tonraq hadn't recovered enough to Water Bend a barrier, and Spirits knew Korra and Asami weren't going to be the ones to do it.

Asami pulled Korra into the saddle further, ignoring the chilling burn on her skin, and allowed Korra to sit at the reigns. She positioned herself close behind, shaking for the entirety of the movement.

"Hang on!" Her voice was rough as she called over her shoulder, her hair wet and sticking onto her face. She squinted as they approached the wall, a flash of lightning her only source of illumination. The boom of thunder shook her to the frozen core.

Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's waist to stop herself from flying away, taking the Southerner's directions with full heart.

Tonraq and Senna gripped the edge of the saddle, holding themselves and Korra's bag in place.

Naga wasted no time, looking to get as far away from the storm as possible. She dashed and jumped, catching the edge just the same as she did before. She scratched her way up the slippery side with her hind legs until she was on top of the wall. After another pause, she hopped down and sprinted at full speed into the forest.

"To the right, Korra. We've got to get as far away as possible."

"Where are we even _going_ , Asami?"

She paused, defeat in her voice and tumultuous battling in her heart. "I don't know, Korra. I just don't know."

Korra glanced over her shoulder, worry in her eyes. "Are you okay, Asami?"

"Let's just… get out of here." She looked away, raven hair whipping in the wind.

She frowned and steered her polar bear dog around a thicket of trees too dense for her to run through. "So are we going to the Earth Kingdom? It would be the next nearest Nation."

"It's too close to here. If the Strikers are hell bent on finding us, we need to get _far_ away." Tonraq pulled himself closer to the pair, his upper body returning to him. "We need to go home, to the Southern Water Tribe. We'll be much safer there, and if they _are_ stupid enough to attack us where us Water Benders are surrounded by an endless supply of ice – well, then the fight will be quick and easy."

"Maybe my dad's right. They wouldn't bother tracking us all the way down there, especially if they don't have ships."

" _We_ don't have a ship either, Korra."

"Then why would you suggest that if we can't even _get there_ , dad? Naga certainly can't swim all the way there. She's _exhausted_. We _all_ are."

"I have an idea. Head a bit more southwest than this, Korra." There was ferocity in Asami's eyes. "We're going to Future Industries."

(-)


	10. Doubt

Did somebody say angst? I think somebody said angst.

Also, sorry again for the late posting. I'm trying ever so hard to get back on schedule. *cries a million tears* I might just have to release a chunk of chapters soon hahaha.

*nervously laughs and hides*

(-)

Chapter 10

 **Doubt**

"Future Industries? Why would we go there?" Korra directed Naga southwest, despite her question.

"My dad has boats that he uses for shipping. We're going to steal one."

"Why? Wouldn't your dad get mad and suspicious about that?"

"Yes. That's the point. If he doesn't know it happened, then he'll be more surprised when he gives the police report. If the Strikers find out, they won't think he'll be involved –"

"Because he didn't know!"

She smiled. "Exactly. Besides, I know how to helm those ones. My dad has shown me how to operate most of the vehicles he's made." The engineer tightened her hold on Korra's waist. "They're big enough to fit Naga on, too. Otherwise, I would have gone with a plane or airship instead."

"Your dad has planes? Like, _air_ planes?"

Asami nodded. "They're still in preliminary development, though. So it's probably better that we didn't take them."

Korra shrugged and leaned forward, beckoning Naga to go faster. "How far away is it?"

"About the same distance as the camp was."

"What if they see us?"

"They're probably still searching the forest. It won't take me long to steal the boat."

"We want to help, Asami." Tonraq interjected, drawing circles with his somewhat-battered legs. "If not with stealing it, then with helming it. I've been steering ships since I can remember."

She bobbed her head. "Thank-you. I can't imagine the journey to the Southern Water Tribe is short. I'll need all the help I can get."

"I can steer boats too, Asami." Korra grinned, a part of her trying to boast in their frantic situation. "My dad taught me. I even went ice dodging when I was – shit!"

A line of late-night Satomobiles and Cabbage Cars were speeding up the bridge on both lanes. There wasn't enough room for Naga _and_ the vehicles to stay on the road at the same time, and there were too many of them for Naga to jump over _all_ the cars; their spacing was just close enough to prevent her from hopping in between. Not only that, but the polar bear dog was too far and too fast along the structure to halt and turn around with the automobiles raging their way. Upon another glance, she could see a faint pair of glowing green eyes coming from the Satomobile that was first in line.

 _Fuck_ _!_

"Hang on, everyone!" Korra gritted her teeth and forced Naga into a sharp turn over the side of the bridge. A flash of lightning shot through the sky as they made the plunge.

With a tight grip and several screams, they splashed into Yue Bay below. They emerged from the water moments later soaked more than they had been from the rain alone, but in one piece.

Korra glimpsed behind her, panting. Asami was tight and shaking against her, her face buried into her tan shoulder. Her father was near her mother, holding both himself and his wife on the saddle. The bag was between them, the ties tight to seal the opening and protect its contents from the sea water. She squinted to the top of the bridge. The vehicles hadn't stopped to chase after them. She sighed in relief. "Keep going, Naga. This way. Go, before they change their minds!" She directed the animal southwest.

Naga pumped her legs as fast as possible, proving just how capable of a swimmer she was. They sped through the water, hoping no one would notice them as the City woke from their slumber. It didn't take them long to pass the broken bridge near Cabbage Corp. where Asami had first run into the Striker they knew as Warship and _she_ now knew as Sentai.

It took the same amount of time to reach the docks behind Future Industries. Lucky for them, the rain was lighter and lighter the further south they travelled.

"There: the smaller one on the end. We'll take that one." Asami pointed from her somewhat-curled position, her arm shaking from the cold as she did so.

Korra nodded and steered Naga accordingly.

The polar bear dog crawled onto the shore line, dripping wet and panting.

"We're almost there, girl. Just hang on."

Asami hopped off of the animal with gusto, her sights and focus dead ahead.

Korra followed, _her_ sights and focus set on Asami alone.

The engineer analyzed the outside of the facility as they crept up to its borders. While the lights were on, she could see no movement inside.

 _Good. They aren't working yet._

 _I wish I had more time to check things out._

 _Check_ _what_ _out?_

 _Things_ _._

 _The gloves?_

She clenched her jaw, wishing the thought had never even crossed her mind. She looked over her shoulder – a mixture of feelings inside – as she took one last look at everything she was leaving behind: Republic City, the place she had grown up, the only place she had ever known, with its glowing urban lights and the dark clouds overhead. She almost thought of going back until the thought of her father crossed her mind again. Memories shot into her sight, ranging from Hiroshi Sato to the Strikers rampaging through the City.

 _I can't – I can't go back._

Asami bolted over to the boardwalk and sprinted to the ship, using anything – even complete physical exertion – as a means for mental distraction. She had to be focused, not on her father or his possible crimes, not on the Strikers that had nearly taken Korra away, but on the woman behind her. On Korra herself. On her safety. On their _escape_. She narrowed her eyes on the boat as her legs pushed her forward. "Go get Naga ready. I'll need a minute," she called over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't need –"

Asami had already propelled herself onto the deck before Korra could finish her question, rolling and crouching to manage her landing.

Korra halted at the edge, jaw somewhat dropped as she watched the raven kick a metal door down after unlocking it from the outside. Within seconds, the heiress was out of sight. "Okay, then." She spun around and motioned to whistle, but thought better of it.

 _Better to attract_ _less_ _attention, in this case._

She ran back down the shoreline until she was within earshot of her animal companion. "Come on, Naga." She waved her on, pivoting mid-step to sprint all the way back to the dock.

The engine kicked to life by the time they reached the boardwalk.

Naga jumped with ease onto the boat, Senna and Tonraq firm in the saddle.

Korra hopped over the gap but her jump wasn't quite high enough. She crashed into the edge of the ship. With a frantic kick of her legs, she squirmed over the side and rolled onto the deck, panting and sweating.

Tonraq wasted no time. He slid off the side of the polar bear dog and Bent what water he could muster around the chain; while his motion returned, his Bending was still a bit murky. He froze a small amount of liquid on the links to make the metal brittle. He leaned over the edge and slammed his heel into the icy section. The tether smashed under his foot. "We're good to go, Asami!" He hollered over his shoulder, sliding his leg back onto the deck.

On cue, Asami increased the propeller speed. The motor ramped up. Within a few seconds, they were soaring away from the Future Industries dock, away from Yue Bay, away from Republic City. They had escaped the storm; clear, moonlit skies were ahead of them, the stars unhindered by rain of any sort.

"Korra? Korra, sweetie?" Senna plopped down beside her daughter, having been the last to recover from the chi blocking.

Korra hadn't moved since her scurry into the boat. Her eyes were shut, limbs motionless; the strain on her body overwhelmed her. She was exhausted and she had lost too much blood from all of the adrenaline forcing her heart to race faster.

Naga stood beside her, nudging the Water Tribe girl with her snout.

"Give her some space, Naga. Tonraq, I need your water sack!" She pulled the bloody shirt off of her daughter to reveal a large gash between her breasts. Her white bindings were stained red.

He sprinted to them, the color leaving his face upon the sight of his child. He kneeled down and popped the cap on his carrier.

Senna tried to pull water from it, but it was empty. "We must have used it all during the attack. I'll just have to use the sea water and the rain water from the deck." She Bent a small amount of fluid from the side of the boat and hovered it over Korra's wound. "It's not as clean, so it'll take me a little longer to heal this. Keep an eye on her breathing, Tonraq."

He nodded and grasped his daughter's hand. "It's going to be okay, Korra. Your mother is going to take care of you."

After a few minutes, the injury was healed over. The blood was still soaked into her clothes and a very faint scar was visible on her chest. But the bleeding stopped. Korra was breathing. They were safe.

 _Thank the Spirits._

"We should get her inside, Tonraq. She's shivering."

"You're right. Here, I'll take Korra. You take her clothes and her bag."

Senna bobbed her head and pulled the water from Korra's clothing before she rose. She grabbed the carrier off of Naga's saddle and the soaked, dirty shirt from the deck. She followed her husband who cradled her child against him, as if Korra was a kid again having fallen asleep in the training room for the umpteenth time.

The three of them made the descent down the steps into the cabin of the boat.

Naga mewled at the much-too-small entrance and shook the water out of her fur, wanting nothing more than to be with her human companion.

(-)

"Asami? Are there any rooms here for Korra to sleep in?" Tonraq stood in the door way, the brunette in his arms.

"Yeah, down the hall to the le –" Her statement trailed when she twisted and saw the Water Tribe girl. She wanted to cross the room, but refrained since she was steering the ship. "Is – is she okay?"

He nodded. "She'll be fine. Senna healed her wound. She just needs rest."

Asami bobbed her head and brought her attention back to the path in front of her. She glanced over her shoulder as the trio exited, concern spreading throughout her shaking being.

 _Korra._

She refocused and gripped the wheel until the three of them left the room. Her hands were quaking, but she refused to let anyone see it. A thousand thoughts tore her mind apart, empowered by her exhaustion. She couldn't do this, not right now; she struggled just to keep herself standing. She couldn't take this mental torture. The image of Korra being stabbed and shocked by Sentai wouldn't leave her sight. It bounced between that and the conversation she eavesdropped on with her father.

 _It can't be true. He wouldn't have done something like that._

 _The way it sounded…_

 _Maybe he was just upgrading them and the Strikers stole them. He's always inventing new things._

 _But why would he make electric shock gloves in the first place?_

 _To protect people?_

 _Against what?_

 _Other people?_

 _Say it Asami. You know who._

She sighed, her eyes a bit watery. _Benders_ _._

 _Exactly._

 _He wouldn't supply them to the Strikers, though. He would never want to kill people. That's just not who he is._

 _I know, Asami, I know. But look at the evidence._

 _What? A late night/early morning call about a shipment of missing gloves? Notice the_ _missing_ _part of that. If the Strikers have them, then it's very possible that they stole them from him._

 _What would he be doing with a shipment of gloves anyways?_

 _I don't know. But maybe I can find out._

(-)

"How is Korra doing," Asami asked the moment one of them walked into the doorway. The heavy steps afterwards told her it was Tonraq.

"She's resting now, but she doesn't seem to be sleeping well. She keeps tossing and turning and muttering names." He approached the Non-Bender and stood beside her, looking out over the setting moon with a worried face. He decided it was better _not_ to mention that one of the names his daughter kept sputtering was, indeed, that of the heiress. He wasn't guilty of just pure intentions, though; while he could see that the young woman was very much exhausted and probably couldn't use the additional stress, there was also a hint of frustration in his motives. His daughter was spitting out a slew of names, none of which was _his_. Then again, if his daughter was having a nightmare – which was very likely, based on his observations – perhaps it was better that she _wasn't_ mumbling anything having to do with him. He'd caused enough damage...

He shook his head and brought his focus back to the woman beside him, a sudden wave of concern passing through his chest. "How are _you_ doing, Asami?"

"I'm fine." She kept her eyes dead set ahead of her, refusing to show weakness and oblivious to anything Tonraq might have been struggling with inside. She hid her shivering to further her case.

"You should have Senna look at your back wound. She can heal it. She fixed my legs up after we put Korra in her room – they got a few scrapes and bruises when I was bouncing off Naga."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," she replied more as a courtesy than from genuine care; while she did feel a hint of content that Tonraq was no longer hurt, she had much heavier things on her tired mind. If anything, she was more concerned about Korra, and this worry – intermingled with her churning insides – diluted her feelings for anyone else. The thought of the injury near her spine, though, brought it back to the forefront of her mind. The wound started to sting just by existing. She tried to reach for it to give it a comforting rub, but the laceration was just out of reach of her fingertips. "Is it that bad," she questioned as she attempted to stretch to it again.

He shook his head. "No, it's not that bad at all. Not very deep, not much blood. Just quite a bit of bruising. He must have whacked you pretty hard with that baton, didn't he?"

She nodded. "He caught me by surprise. My feet were tangled up and –"

"Asami, you don't have to explain to me. I know you're a good fighter. I witnessed that today, _trust_ me."

She smiled to the compliment and continued steering, abandoning her attempts at reaching her back wound.

"Why don't you take a break for now? You look like you could use some rest, too."

"Are you sure? I can keep going."

He put a hand on the wheel to get her attention. His blue-grey eyes locked onto her exhausted green ones. "I'm sure." He displaced her from her spot without touching a single hair on her head. "Sleep, Asami. Besides, I know the route. Until we get a map so I can show you, you won't know how to get there."

She sighed and crossed her arms, knowing the truth in his statement; while she knew Republic City like the back of her hand, navigating the rest of the world wasn't quite her forte. Not _yet,_ at least. "I suppose you're right. Is Senna sleeping, too?"

"I believe she did retire for the rest of the night. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you woke her up for your wound, though."

Asami waved her hand. "No, let her sleep. I might as well take this time to catch up, too. If you need anything, I'll be in one of these cabin rooms."

"Of course." He didn't turn from the wheel as she departed, keeping his focus just as intense as she had when she was mulling over everything that happened. What she didn't know that he was doing much the same.

She stopped in the doorway and stared at him one last time. Instead of heading down the corridor to the quarters, though, she made her way below, into the storage and shipping area of the ship.

(-)

Asami cracked her knuckles and cranked the large door open, careful to be as quiet as she could. She pulled on the handle just enough for her to slip inside. The room was dark. She searched the wall nearby until she found a light switch and flicked it on. There were several smaller crates on this vessel instead of the larger metal containers, which is what she was hoping for: it told her that this was, indeed, a local vessel. If her father had been shipping the gloves in the City, she assumed he would use a small, fast ship to do it, not one of the giant ones utilized for imports from the Earth Kingdom. Anyway, it would be too risky to move the gloves on the road with all of the Metal Bending Police around, searching for _anything_ that might get them closer to the Strikers. With Satomobile and truck transport out of the mix, that left sea fare. Boat transport regulations were much less strict in the City, regardless, making it easier for people to sneak things into the cargo.

She glanced at each of the wooden boxes, reading the labels on the outside. Most of them were, in fact, just Satomobile parts; she recognized them by part number alone.

 _Still…_

It wasn't enough to convince her. She crept to the shipper's office and picked the lock with ease. She slipped inside and turned the light on. Logs, records, and shipment tags were strewn about the area. She ignored them for now and searched for the toolbox that she was sure to be there.

Nevertheless, it was.

She pulled the red and black metal container from its place in the corner of the room and plopped it on the table. Her fingers flipped the latches up and pushed the lid open.

 _Perfect._

The heiress retrieved a small prybar from the top tray and slammed the box shut, closing the latches as she did. She spun the tool in her hand and made her way to the many crates in the storage area. She jammed the end of the crowbar into the seam of the first wooden box and pulled it open.

Several wrapped pipes fell out, clattering against each other. She kicked them around, looking for any sign of the electric weapons.

 _Nothing._

She repeated this with every crate, taking only a few minutes to invade and search each one. After about twenty crates and a whole lot of sweat, she tossed the prybar down in frustration; each of the containers held up to their labels.

 _Maybe there's another storage level somewhere._

Asami returned to the office and glanced at the ship schematics on the wall, which supplied her with details for the entire ship and the storage floor she was on in two separate images. The boat was _much_ smaller than she thought. After analyzing the blueprint, she realized there was no physical way to add another unit of shipping on the vessel without cutting into the ballast or the engine room.

She growled and ripped the drawing off the wall, letting it fall to the floor beside her.

 _Maybe these will tell me something._

She sat down at the desk to her right and leafed through the many shipping reports on the top and in the drawers. She scanned the text, looking at every sheet possible.

There wasn't as much to go through as she had hoped.

Most of the cabinets were filled with blank forms and labels. She tossed her current completed stack behind her and lowered her head onto the desk.

 _Please,_ _please_ _give me a reason._

 _A reason for what?_

 _For why._

 _Why he made the gloves_ _other_ _than to supply the Strikers with a weapon?_

She nodded, refusing to remove her cheek from the cool wood tabletop.

 _Well, think of their construction. Sure, the Strikers use them to zap people, but what else could they be used for?_

 _I don't_ _know_ _._

 _Maybe… maybe they were meant to be chargers._

 _Chargers?_

 _Sure. Look at that, right there next to you._

Asami lifted her head and pulled the pinned papers from the folder beside her. It was a parcel she had ignored, considering the label was 'Satomobile Review Report' in Hiroshi's handwriting. Her father's vehicle line was _not_ her focus right now; the electric gloves were. "Why?"

 _Well, it's the only thing you_ _haven't_ _looked at yet. I figured it was worth a shot._

She sighed and flipped through the list of pros and cons, her weary eyes too tired to deal with this.

 _Good brakes, axels stronger – less damage on potholes, fuel delivery needs work –_

"I _told_ him to install that design I made for him."

 _Asami, focus._

 _Right, right. Tires sturdy, exhaust needs improvement, battery…_

Her eyes widened.

"Habit of shorting out and dying on long drives. Need some sort of portable shock or charge device to boost battery until better battery made – need more money for research and development – current cables for dual vehicle jump not effective when single vehicle is used or no other vehicles are nearby."

She lowered the papers onto the table.

 _You – you don't think this is it, do you?_

 _He_ _did_ _say they were prototypes. Maybe he's working on their effectiveness in kick starting the batteries._

 _Or maybe you're just too blind and in denial to see any other possibility._

Asami frowned and folded her arms over her chest.

 _I know that both of these options_ _could_ _exist, and for that reason I...I have to give him the benefit of doubt._

She rubbed her eyes and hunched over. Her mind throbbed. She was much too exhausted for the turmoil within her, yet it was that very tumult that prevented her from sleeping. First, it was Korra disappearing. Then, it was being afraid of Korra for some Spirit-forsaken reason. Now, it was this whole ordeal with her father and the Strikers.

"I need air."

She pushed herself to her feet and abandoned her rummaging, too tired and indifferent to give a damn. Asami crawled onto the deck one painful step at a time and made her way to the front of the boat. She leaned against the railing with her forearms on the top bar. The cold wind blew right through her while she stared at the moon. She remembered the last time she was like this – absorbing the illumination from the celestial body above. It was with Korra – of _course_ it was – after she learned that Kuru had been the one to attack the Water Tribe girl. Korra had been out here for what felt like hours, trying to get the cold to numb away her feelings. Asami had been inside under a blanket watching it all unfold until she stepped out, unable to bear seeing the Southerner in such a state for another second longer.

Their roles were reversed now, except there was no one watching over her to see if _she_ was alright. She was above the helm, so Tonraq couldn't see her from the wheel. The rest were asleep, two in the quarters and one on the deck. No, she was alone this time, and nothing – Korra included – was there to stop her from letting the cold seep into her nerves and penetrate her core.

So she did.

She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the crisp air mixing with the salty sea. It didn't take her long to start shivering; her clothes were just not enough to protect her.

That was fine. She didn't _want_ protection. She wanted to be consumed, wanted to let everything get buried and frozen so that she wouldn't have to deal with it.

So she did.

Asami leaned against that railing and allowed her feelings to sink further and further into herself, never to resurface again. She pushed away her thoughts, pushed away the pain. With a single tear from each eye and a soft sob, she allowed the bitter darkness to swallow her where she stood.

(-)


	11. Nerves

Wham! A relatively not-so-late update. See, I told you I could do it!

*knocks on wood to prevent jinxing*

Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

(-)

Chapter 11

 **Nerves**

Korra couldn't keep up a consistent round of sleep. She wished she could act like it was a surprise, but it wasn't. She surfaced from her dark slumber like a bottle washing to shore, the gentlest of all the other times she woke that night. In those trips, she had burst into reality from the horrible nightmares she kept having. Those images were fresh in her mind and refused to leave no matter how many times she tried to evict them. If she had any dreams from her last bout, though, she couldn't remember a single one of them. Every time she blinked, she saw something different, something terrifying and pain inducing. Watching herself choke Sentai seemed to be the most potent, at the moment.

She shook her head, trying in vain to clear her thoughts. A groan escaped from her core. She clutched her chest to quell it, the fabric of her bindings damp from sweat.

 _My bindings?_

Korra shot up, regretting it the instant she started the motion. A massive rush of blood flowed to her head, making her mind swirl.

 _Spirits..._

She rubbed her temple with one hand and blinked several times to clear her blurry sight. Her eyes fell on her bloody shirt, which was hung over the side of the cot opposing hers.

 _How did I get here?_

Korra ran her hands up and down her arms, a chill crawling up her spine. She dropped her sight until her bindings were in her peripherals. She pushed the fabric around to find the wound healed and only somewhat scarred.

 _Mom must have healed me._

She grimaced and pushed herself to her feet. Korra stumbled over to her bag and tore the ties open, looking for a clean shirt. All she found were the books and scrolls from Master Zuko and Tenzin, as well as a handful of lychee nuts.

 _Right. Camp. Strikers._

She retrieved the fruit and peeled the outer skin away as she made her way to the other cot. She plopped onto it, tossing her bag in the space beside her, and ate the little food she had. Fatigue was radiating from every inch of her. Her inability to sleep didn't help. She felt nauseous as the boat shifted from the waves.

 _Maybe I just need some air._

Korra stood once more, moving slow to prevent another head rush. She pulled her stained shirt over her loose hair – the front two wolf tails the only ones remaining – and trudged out of the room. She halted at the exit and groaned.

 _Fucking stairs._

She climbed the steps with every bit of disgust as she had when she made her way through the Royal Palace in the Fire Nation. Once she hit the deck, a strong wind forced a chill down her spine. She glanced up and smiled at the sight of her sleeping polar bear dog. She almost sat with her animal companion when she heard what she thought was a whimper.

 _Asami?_

Korra rotated, scanning the area until her eyes fell upon the shivering engineer at the front of the ship. She made the short walk across the deck, removing the pelt from her waist as she did. The small injury on Asami's back didn't go unnoticed. Korra stepped to the side and wrapped the fur around Asami's shoulders. "Hey."

Asami glanced at the woman beside her, tired eyes meeting tired eyes. "Hey."

"You looked cold. I wish I had something warmer."

"It's okay." She looked away, distant. "Thank-you."

Korra smiled. "You're welcome." She mimicked Asami's pose against the railing, allowing the moonlight to bounce off of her skin. "The moon feels so nice tonight."

"Does it really help you?"

She turned her head to look at Asami. When the woman continued to stare ahead, she did the same. "Sometimes… if I'm lucky. The past few days, though? It hasn't really been bringing me much comfort at all." She shifted her weight to the other foot and sunk a bit towards the upper bar. "This is the first time I've felt anything in a while. Part of me is still convinced that I'm delusional."

"What do you mean?"

"That this is all a dream. It's starting to get harder and harder to tell these things apart." She looked up at the moon and sighed. "Maybe I'm just imagining that I feel something from the moon. Maybe I'm just imagining all of this, and I'll wake up in a few hours in that alley or on my bed in the Southern Water Tribe or something."

Asami's expression remained motionless, though she lifted her eyes to the moon as well. "I wish it was."

Korra recoiled – though the motion was subtle – and dropped her gaze to the waves below them. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. But I can't sleep. I'm assuming that's the same reason you're up here?"

She nodded, her loose brown hair tousling in the wind. "I was feeling kinda nauseous after I woke up, so I came out here for some air." She paused for a moment to scowl in her frustration. "This entire thing is fucking ridiculous."

This got Asami's attention. She twisted her head – just a little bit – to look at the Water Tribe girl. The exhaustion was clear on her face. It was the dried blood on Korra's shirt that snapped part of her out from her numbed state; she hadn't realized how severe Korra's bleeding was until that point. She withheld any comment, though, and looked away, searching for some stability. "How so?"

"I feel like everything I am… is sick. I don't know what's happening to me, Asami. I – I don't feel like me, like _myself_ , anymore." Korra bent down and rested her forehead against the bar where her forearms were pressed. She closed her eyes and there were his, staring back at her as the veins popped out around them. "I almost killed him."

Her peridots latched onto the woman beside her. "Sentai?"

Korra bobbed her head, never removing it from the railing. "I almost killed him, Asami. My hands were there, around his throat, _squeezing_ the life out of him. I just kept going. There – there was a voice inside of me, telling me to stop, but I wouldn't." She straightened and locked onto the engineer with watery eyes. "I keep dreaming about it, replaying it over and over. The worst part is that the voice was _me_. That part – that was _me_. _I_ was the one trying to stop myself, and whatever side of me, whatever monster that took control – that I _let_ take control… they wouldn't listen. They kept going. If it weren't for him stabbing me with that baton…" She looked away.

 _What_ _am_ _I?_

The tears escaped her blue eyes and dripped onto the deck.

"I'm not a killer, Asami. I'm not."

Asami wrapped an arm around Korra's shoulders and pulled her closer. "I know you're not, Korra."

"I loosened, Asami. I loosened my hands for just a second, I broke through for just a second, and he almost killed me. He almost killed you. He almost killed Ahyoka and _did_ kill her mother. Who knows how many other people he's hurt and murdered. But I – I couldn't. I couldn't do it."

"That's not something to be ashamed of, Korra."

"I'm not ashamed. I'm – I'm _afraid_."

It took Asami a moment to take that statement in. "What are you afraid of?"

"Myself. Of everything that's happening. Of putting people in danger. Of becoming a killer. I'm _not_ a killer. Sure, I hunt animals for food, but _people_? _Humans_? I'm – I'm not a killer. But that part of me, whatever it was that was controlling me – I don't _want_ to think it was me. I _want_ to think that voice that was stopping me was me, because it was. It _was_ me. But I'm not sure if it was _all_ of me. I _wanted_ to hurt Sentai. I've wanted to for a long time – him and Kuru both – for what they did to us. But _kill_ him?" She tried to wipe the tears away but more of them showed up in their place. "I don't know what I am anymore."

Korra broke down, trying to find comfort in the engineer. She had bottled this for too long, capped and corked all her means of venting. She didn't like crying, she didn't like feeling weak, and maybe it was her exhaustion that was making her more susceptible, but she just couldn't hold it in anymore.

Asami pulled the sobbing woman into her, embracing her in her tired arms.

"Even now, I want him to pay, Asami. I want him to suffer for what he did, as if what I did to him wasn't enough. It terrifies me, but I want him to get what's coming to him."

"Well, he won't."

The amount of surprising bitterness in her voice forced Korra away. She straightened and stared at Asami, hatred in her peridots.

"He _won't_ get what's coming to him, Korra. As much as we want him to be held accountable for what he's done, he just _won't_. He's going to keep killing people, keep killing Water Benders, and there isn't a _damn_ thing that anyone can do about it. The police can't stop them; they've been trying for weeks. The Benders can't seem to stop them, if they keep on dying. They're going to continue _murdering_ people as they see fit and overrun the City. And it doesn't seem like prison is going to stop any of them, either. No, as long as the Strikers are in Republic City, people will keep dying, and there isn't a fucking thing we can do to stop it right now."

Asami was starting to crack on her own, all that she tried to bury resurfacing inside of her.

 _My dad wouldn't. He just_ _wouldn't_ _. He's a kind and generous man..._

Korra dropped her eyes and stared at her swollen right hand. "Maybe I should have killed him, then."

" _No_." Her stern voice reverberated into their cores. "No, Korra, you're _not_ a murderer. You're _not_ one of _them_." Asami paused at her words, realizing their double application to both the Strikers _and_ the Agni Kais in the very depths of her mind.

 _Is_ _that_ _why I was afraid?_

"How else can we beat them if prison won't work?" She met the raven's gaze.

"I don't really know, Korra. I have no idea. Murdering and killing should never be the option, though. All I know is that I'm leaving everything behind to them. The place I've called home all my life. The City that my father helped to… If I ever return, I'll have to return to _them_. In all honesty, it's not something I really want to think about or talk about right now." She returned to the railing and leaned against it, a new swirl of thoughts moving through her pounding head.

"I understand, Asami. It's – it's been a long day. A long _many_ days." She eyed the heiress once more, the pelt from her waist pulled tight around her black and red shoulders. "If – if you need anything, let me know, okay? I'm going to go sit with Naga for a while, since I can't really sleep." When there was no response, she turned away, leaving the engineer to her bustling thoughts.

Asami listened as the heavy footsteps from the exhausted Water Tribe girl grew more and more distant. Her mind replayed the words she spoke, the bitterness she displayed and the recoil it caused. She felt guilty, she felt horrible, she felt too many things to decipher. She sighed and stared at the moon, wishing it could supply some form of strength to her shaking body and aching heart. Asami glanced over her shoulder and eyed the pair of Southerners on the other side of the deck. She flipped between the sea ahead and the duo behind her, too lost to direct her rampant thoughts.

(-)

"Hey, girl. Can I lay with you?"

The sleepy tongue on her cheek was all that she needed.

"Let's get that harness off of you first. I can't imagine it's very comfortable to sleep in." She reached over to the polar bear dog's chest and released the straps.

Naga yawned and stretched as her human companion freed her. She scratched her ear while the Water Tribe girl tossed the pillion aside and licked the woman's face when she returned.

"You're welcome." Korra plopped beside the polar bear dog and curled into her belly, using her thick tufts of white fur for heat. She shivered when another breeze hit her and snuggled further into the animal. "I'm sorry I got blood on you, girl. But mom healed me up, so I'm better now." She pointed to her chest, the stains on her shirt hiding the fixed injury.

Naga let out a soft sound and another yawn. She curved until her head was in Korra's lap and nudged her neck with her cold, wet snout.

"I missed you, too, girl. I missed you so much. But no more biting and swatting and growling at people unless they're trying to hurt me, like you did with Sentai. That was awesome, by the way. You really saved me back there." She paused a moment to rub the animal's ear. "And no more jumping into the ocean – _unless_ I'm there with you and we're going for a swim. Got it?"

She mewled and lowered her head.

"I know – it's because you missed me. Mom was telling me in the letters that you were having bad dreams. Were they about me?"

She nodded and pushed against Korra's torso.

"I wish I could have done something to help you. But we're heading home now, and I guess I'm here to stay." She averted her eyes to the boards of the deck. "There's not really much left for me out here in this big world, now that I've been kicked out of college."

 _Except –_

Korra looked up and stared at the engineer across the boat; at least, what she could see of her. The entrance to the lower levels blocked most of the view, but she could still make out pieces of her hair flowing from the wind. She fixated on the raven. "Do you like Asami, Naga?"

The polar bear dog release a calm bark and rubbed her snout into Korra's face.

She laughed, closing her eyes. "Naga! You _know_ I'm ticklish when it comes to your whiskers."

Naga 'fixed' the problem with a playful nip at Korra's wrist instead.

"Okay, okay, you got me. I'll pet you." She buried her hands into the white fur in her lap, massaging the animal's head with her fingertips.

Naga sighed and dropped her head into her human companion's lap.

Korra's thoughts moved back to the heiress. She gazed at the faint stars above her and leaned back into her polar bear dog. "So, that means you like Asami, right?"

Naga bobbed in place.

"Good. Because she's going to be staying with us for a while. I don't know for how long." Korra paused, knowing that her previous sentence wasn't _quite_ what she intended to say.

Her polar bear dog sensed this and sat up just enough so that her eyes were level with Korra's. She tilted her head to the side, her higher ear twitching.

Korra met her look and sighed. "You're right, you're right… there's more." She pulled Naga's head closer and continued caressing it, feeling nostalgic for the days of sitting on the glacier in her village, doing exactly this with her best friend.

 _Well, your best friend from the Southern Water Tribe._

Korra gulped, realizing the truth in the statement. She exhaled and played with Naga's ear. "The reason I asked you if you liked Asami is because I… I, uhhh…" Her cheeks blushed out of her control.

 _Come on, Korra. You can tell her. She's your best friend._

 _I know, I know, I just – I don't know. What's wrong with me? Why is this a big deal?_

 _This is the first time you've told anyone, isn't it?_

Her insides nodded.

 _Well, Naga seems to approve of her. You should be fine._

She took a breath and sighed. "You're right, you're right." She eyed her polar bear dog, who had stopped panting in her lap and had a confused expression on her face. "Don't worry, girl, just – mental… stuff… I'm not crazy… anyway, the reason I asked you about Asami is because – I – well –"

 _Korra, if you're struggling this much telling your polar bear dog, how are you going to tell Asami?_

Her heart dropped to the thought. The unknown nerves that never seemed to bother her before when she spent time with or thought about Asami resurfaced.

 _I – um – uh…_

 _You_ _are_ _going to tell her, aren't you?_

 _Yes! Yes, of_ _course_ _I am. I am definitely, one hundred percent, going to tell her –_ _everything_ _._

 _Well, here's your chance._

 _What?_

She lurched up to see Asami standing in front of her, huddled in her pelt. Her cheeks darkened due to many reasons: the fact that she had _just_ been thinking about the raven and Pow!, here she was, the fact that she didn't know how much Asami heard and saw when she was rambling to Naga (or, at least, _trying_ to ramble), _and_ the fact that she _still_ could not get over how much she liked seeing Asami with her fur wrapped around her.

 _Maybe it has something to do with her skin. It's always so pale and beautiful and it brings out the color of the pelt and –_

 _KORRA, FOCUS._

"H – hey, Asami." Korra ended her greeting with nervous laughter and an embarrassed hand behind her head, much to Naga's chagrin; a palm removed meant less scratching for the polar bear dog.

"Hey. I was thinking; would it be okay if I – you know…" She eyed the spot beside Korra and tightened her hold on the pelt.

Korra raised her eyebrow, not knowing a single damn thing about what Asami was referring to in her current state. She was pulling more blanks than an amateur Pai Sho player with fake tiles.

A breeze passed through them. Asami brought the fur closer to her face. She was hoping it would be obvious to Korra what she was asking with the motion; her mind was too tired and mushy to hide her pale blushing cheeks or awkward speech, so she wanted to avoid inducing either of them as much as she could. Never before had she felt so… gushy? about anyone. She couldn't figure out why it was so hard to talk to Korra, why she didn't feel as smooth and natural as she had in the past with her.

 _Maybe it's because I'm so tired._

 _Or maybe it's because you know how you feel more than you did before._

After another pause, Korra noticed a faint tremble in Asami's limbs. Her cheeks and nose were pink from what Korra assumed to be was the cold and _nothing else because that would be a ridiculous thought, right, Naga?_

When the polar bear dog didn't reply, she realized she was just _thinking_ the question.

 _Get it together. Come on – you're acting like an awkward teenager._

 _But – I_ _am_ _an awkward teenager._

Her insides paused just to glare at her. _Focus!_

"Okay, okay!" Korra threw her hands up in defense, not realizing until it was too late that she was doing so.

Asami took a step back, a bit confused on the matter.

"No, no, no. You're _fine_." She scrambled to her feet, tripping over part of Naga in the process. "Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that, well, I don't _not_ mean, or think that you, that I –" She straightened and laughed with anxiety again, hoping the engineer wouldn't notice her folly.

The giggling behind her pale hand told her otherwise.

 _Spirits, I really need to sleep, don't I? I'm making a fool of myself over here._

 _Yeah, but she_ _is_ _laughing. And it_ _is_ _cute._

 _Smack!_

 _Stop that!_

She rubbed her head, as if feeling the physical recoil from her metaphoric scenario. Her cheeks burned red. "Asami, I –"

A gust filled the space between them, forcing _both_ of them to quiver this time. The brightening of the sky signaled the oncoming sun and the disappearance of the moonlight.

"We should really get inside. It's not going to get any warmer out here."

"Yeah, you're right, Asami. And we need to sleep." Korra spun around and met her polar bear dog's eyes. "But Naga. Naga and I were cuddling. I was about to tell her something important."

"Oh? And what was that?"

Korra became very aware of how close Asami was – rather, how _far_ she was, with her subconscious deciding that it just wasn't close _enough_.

"I – uh, I –" Another gale shook the urge to stay on the deck right out of her. She was fading fast and she knew it. "Hey, Naga, you, uhh, you don't mind if I, just, go inside to get out of the cold, do you? I'm uh, it's – it's cold out here."

Asami smirked, enjoying this nervous side of Korra way too much in her exhaustion. She couldn't even _imagine_ how foolish she looked herself.

 _I need sleep._

 _I think you_ _both_ _do._

Naga whined at first but barked in approval afterwards. She got up from her spot, walked around it in a circle, and laid back down again, her back to the pair.

Korra frowned for a moment, contemplating on staying. She could feel Asami behind her and allowed her delirium to take over. She spun around, a crooked grin on her tired, tired face. "Let's go inside!" She tugged on Asami and ran down the steps, her enervation at the point of disorientation. This became all too clear when she missed a stair and plummeted down the rest.

"Korra!" Asami descended two steps at a time and crouched by the fallen Southerner.

"I'm okay," her voice was groggy, her mind swirling from the spinning. "The stair jumped up and tripped me and I couldn't keep my awesomely amazing balance."

Asami chuckled. "Whatever you say. Come on, I'll help you up." She took hold of Korra and lifted her as she rose.

She swayed for a minute before getting her footing. "I'm _really_ tired, Asami."

"I understand."

"Can you help me to my room?"

"That was the plan." Asami tossed one of Korra's arms over her shoulder and led the girl to her quarters. She pushed the door open with her hip and set Korra down on the messier of the two cots, assuming the one with the wrangled sheets was the Southerner's.

"Thanks, Asami. I appreciate it." She smiled and burrowed under the covers, huddling up into a ball like a young pup. She sat up again when Asami motioned to leave. "You know – Asami – if you, uh, don't want to sleep alone, and stuff, you could always sleep in _my_ room. There's another cot just right over there –" she pointed to the wrong spot in her bafflement, her exhaustion progressing from the overtired, energy-riddled phase to the 'why is everything funny and I'm so embarrassing because I'm so tired and I look like a fool, is that person drunk' phase, to the near-hallucination phase.

Being the one with an eye for detail, Asami picked up on the stages right away, even feeling some of these _herself_. "Perhaps I _should_ sleep in the same room as you. You need someone keeping an eye on you." She shut the door and locked it, ensuring the Bender wouldn't go wandering off in her slumber again – from what Korra had told her about her trip to the Fire Nation. She returned to Korra's bed and put a gentle pressure on her tan shoulders until the woman was lying down again. "Get some sleep, Korra." Asami pulled the covers up and tucked them around Korra's neck.

Korra made a noise that resembled a purr and shifted under the sheets until she was comfortable.

 _Yeah, she really needs sleep._

 _You do, too._

 _Hush. You don't think I know that already?_

She snapped out of her thoughts and focused on the woman beside her. "I'll be right over here if you need me, Korra. Okay?"

Korra nodded and closed her eyes, drifting quicker into dreamland than she would have thought possible with all the nightmares she'd been having. "Asami… keep… pelt – will, warm…"

"Shhh, sleep." Asami caressed a loose piece of brown hair behind Korra's ear. She continued playing with the Water Tribe girl's locks until the woman fell into a quiet, peaceful sleep. She remained there in hesitation, perhaps for a moment too long. Her exhaustion got the best of her. Her worn-out mind got the best of her. Her tumultuous swirl of emotions got the best of her.

 _Fuck it._

She couldn't stop it if she tried, and she wasn't sure she even _wanted_ to stop.

Asami leaned over, holding her raven hair back with her hand over one of her shoulders. All of her conflicting feelings and thoughts washed away in her absolute fatigue. She planted a very gentle, hardly even _touching_ , kiss on Korra's cheek, her own glowing as red as her lipstick when she straightened.

A thousand thoughts and emotions filled her. Regret. Worry. Doubt. Pleasure. Love. Protectiveness. Fear. Happiness.

They would all have to wait.

She took one final look at Korra and pushed herself off of the mattress. She stumbled over to her temporary bed, shoved the bag off of it, and collapsed onto the sheets. She didn't even bother taking her boots off; she was just _too_ tired. She curled under the pelt Korra lent her and stared at the tan beauty until her lids fluttered shut. Her thoughts and emotions tried to keep her awake, but her body was finally in charge. It shut off all demands, all contemplations of the implications of her unknown kiss, all the piecing together of why she had felt afraid when Korra told her about going to the Fire Nation and pursuing Fire Bending, all of the arguments about her father and whether or not he was _actually_ involved with the Strikers.

Everything was turned down and released until it crashed into a sleep that she was desperate to have.

(-)


	12. Pieces

Chapter 12

 **Pieces**

Korra felt… tall. Not _ridiculously_ tall – like skyscraper levels – but much, _much_ taller than she did on a day to day basis. The wind was at her back, blowing her green robes around as she stood in all her might. The horizon was almost gold and grey, with puffy clouds spotting the sky to add to the effect of the setting sun. Waves crashed on the nearby shore as she stood there and stared ahead.

A man was before her, just a few feet away. A very _short_ man. His body was covered in green and gold armor. An army of soldiers wearing similar plating stood behind him in neat, ordered lines.

"This is the end. After we claim your village and this final portion of the peninsula, we will head to Ba Sing Se. Soon, the entire Earth Kingdom will be mine! So stand aside and no one will die."

Korra didn't even have to know the context of this altercation to know that conquering all of the Earth Kingdom wasn't a good idea; it was immense in size, scattered across a continent that took up a large portion of the world, and had way too many Benders in it for the fight to be easy. She had read and heard too many stories of unfruitful subjugations that led to imprisonment or death. But not only would they fail to get through Ba Sing Se – as most did – they would fail to get through _her_.

She took a step forward – calm in her approach, but firm in her reprimand. "I will warn you only once; I will not sit passively while you try to take over my people and my home."

 _That's not my voice. Those aren't even the words I wanted to say. I wanted to go more along the lines of 'fuck off'._

"I tried to be reasonable and offered you a chance to avoid bloodshed by yielding. But I will not surrender upon your threats. I am Chin the _Conqueror_ , not Chin the _Coward_."

He crouched in what appeared to be an Earth Bending stance, prepared to fight for the land that wasn't his to take.

 _Chin the Conqueror? I remember him._

She stood there, unimpressed. Her eyebrow raised on its own, as did her hand to her hip. "You _dare_ to defy me?" She slid a fan from her robes and pointed it at the man, a huge gust of air shooting out from it. Chin anchored his feet into the earth with his Bending to hold himself in his stubborn place. The gale was so powerful, his armor was ripped right off of his body. It flew behind him in pieces, bouncing off of the ground. Still, he refused to stand down.

 _Woah, Air Bending! Wait, I'm not an Air Bender…_

"I have an _army_ , Kyoshi. You cannot stop me. What do _you_ have?"

 _Kyoshi_ _? I – I'm –_

She closed her eyes. "I am the _Avatar_." When she opened them, they were glowing white. She retrieved her other fan and expanded them in her hands. She jumped and rolled her arms to the left, her collision with the ground creating a colossal fissure in the earth.

 _Woah!_

Korra couldn't control her actions, nor did she _want_ to. To her, she was watching some of the most incredible Bending she's ever _seen_.

Another hop and a shift to the opposite side and the crack expanded, moving all the way to the opposing shore as the first one did. She spun the fans in her hands and shut them, bringing them closer to her chest. She slammed them into the ground, forcing the split between the two pieces of land to separate further. Lava rose from under the ocean. She straightened, swirling her arms as she did. The molten rock burst upwards, seeping across the current landscape.

"We are splitting from the mainland, Chin, and becoming our own entity. No longer will you try to harm the people in my village."

With a push of her arms and a lunge of her leg, a massive, _massive_ , amount of air shot out of her fans. The force was so powerful that it not only took out half of his army, but it _pushed_ the land further and further away.

Korra gawked, witnessing the absolute _majesty_ that was Avatar Kyoshi Bending. It was when she saw Chin the Conqueror plummet into the ocean – the earth under his feet breaking on the edge of the cliff – that she put everything together.

 _Kyoshi Island_ …

She was observing firsthand something that people haven't seen in centuries.

 _It must have been all of those books I've read about the –_

Then the _real_ realization hit her; she wasn't just _watching_ Avatar Kyoshi, she _was_ Avatar Kyoshi.

 _Korra._

A grotesque pain shot into her skull. The image cracked all around her, as if it was painted on glass and someone had just thrown a rock through it. Some of the shards crashed beside her, shattering into a dozen pieces. Others hung in front of her, on the very edge of falling off. They dangled, enormous in their size compared to her tiny Water Tribe girl stature on the ground. What lie behind them was darkness, a darkness she had come to know too well.

 _Korra._

"Go away!" She grabbed a piece of glass from the floor and tossed it, hurling it at where she thought the voice was coming from.

Another surge rattled her. She dropped to her knees – the broken pieces cutting her legs upon impact – and cradled her head. Her lids met in agony.

"Make it stop." She panted and curled into herself, her face pointed at her legs. "It hurts. It hurts so much."

A pulse shook her. It hit her like a sonic wave that reverberated in her chest. She could feel the energy storm within her, several gushing, rapids pools and swirls of horrible pain and confusion. Her ears rang. She gritted her teeth and fisted her hair, struggling to get the throbbing to pass.

Korra succumbed. She caught herself with her palms, the stings of piercing glass forcing her to wince. She opened her eyes and crawled over to the nearest shard, one that was a few inches long with others of similar size scattered around it. Her reflection caught her sight, and she trembled backwards to what she saw.

Blood dripped down her arms as she scurried away, cutting herself further as she fled. The image was everywhere now, in every piece of glass she could see. She pushed herself to her feet and tried to run, only to lose her balance and fall when another pain in her skull threw her off balance. She crashed into the shards and cried out, some of them digging deep into her.

Korra scuttled onto her hands and knees, several pieces right in her line of sight. One chunk depicted a sliver of an older man, with pale skin and blue-grey eyes. There were wrinkles around his face and the faint trail of a brown beard and a light blue arrow. The next held the gaze of another old man, though this one was much further along in his age. His hair was white and long, with a bit of it pulled up in a small gold and red piece with a rod through it. His pupils locked onto hers with a force that made her tremble. She tried to turn away, only to meet a white and red-painted face staring back at her in a third piece of glass that was blocking her path. She stumbled onto her back and pushed herself away.

 _Korra._

"Go away!" She screamed, curling into herself to the terrible pain in her head. She fell to her side and buried her hands into her hair. Tears fell down her cheeks. "Why won't this stop?" Her lids touched as she tried to will the sting away.

Korra was sick of the pain, sick of the agony. She'd never felt so weak in her life. Frustration swelled in her. She wanted it to stop, she wanted to stop crying. But it _hurt_. It hurt more than anything she'd ever felt.

 _Just breathe. Just… breathe…_

She opened her eyes when she could bear it and lifted her head. Several pieces of glass were underneath her. She rose to her hands and knees and stared at the image below. Though they were separated, they created a perfect reflection of a face. Each of the three people she saw before echoed back into her, a different part scattered through various shards. The only thing that was missing was the eyes. She leaned forward on shaking arms until her face aligned with theirs. Her irises – blue as they were – and her pupils – full of fear – completed the puzzle. These weren't just pieces of people on the ground, they were pieces of _her_.

 _Korra._

The floor fell out from underneath her. A violent pain shot from her skull out to the very tips of her extremities as she plummeted. Darkness surrounded her, the light from the glass shards far away. The wind whipped her hair. Her stomach turned. Everything _hurt_. Before she could think or react, her body slammed into something hard.

Korra jumped up, sweating. The pain from her dreams spread into reality. She folded into herself and rolled right over the side of her bed. She crashed into the floor with a yelp. Her lids touched as she panted, the images of her previous nightmare already fading from her grasp.

 _It was just a dream. It was just a dream._

She repeated the phrase until her heart calmed down and the sweating stopped. Korra opened her tired eyes and stared at the wall ahead of her. She inhaled and pushed herself upright, her head throbbing in the process. Her right palm steadied her skull as she swayed. She looked around the rest of the room to find it empty.

 _Asami?_

Korra crawled over to the bed opposite of hers, eyeing her bag in the corner. She stood just enough to see that the bed was neat – neat and _empty_. Her pelt was in the closest corner, folded in a tidy fashion, though the blanket on top of the mattress was wrinkled from a body atop it.

She gazed at the fur with an absent mind. Her fingers traced over it before she brought it closer to her chest.

 _It smells like her._

Korra smiled and tied the pelt around her waist. She got to her feet and staggered for a moment.

 _That nightmare really took a lot out of me, didn't it?_

On cue, a pain pulsed in her brain. She gritted her teeth until it passed.

 _Fuck. Calm down, I don't even_ _remember_ _what the stupid dream was about anyway. Damn fucking mind pains._

She slapped the door frame in frustration as she made her way out of her cabin. The sun was blaring by the time she emerged onto the deck. This didn't help her migraine one bit. Korra shielded her eyes with her forearm until her pupils adjusted, groaning in the process. She looked around, seeing no one from her crew in sight. The boat had stopped moving and was docked along the shores of what appeared to be an island or peninsula. Land surrounded her on each side except one, where the waves of the sea were dashing to and fro. It reminded her of the Fire Nation, the way the ends of the island curved inward to form a bay.

Korra braced herself for the pain upon remembering part of her long trip. When there wasn't an ounce of additional discomfort, she relaxed with an exhale.

 _Phew._

A gentle breeze danced across her skin. She shivered and rubbed her elbows to generate warmth.

 _We really are getting further south._

She quaked again and walked around the empty deck. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She circled towards the front. "Mom? Dad? Naga? Asami?" There wasn't a soul to be found by the time she completed her rounds.

 _Where_ _is_ _everyone?_

Korra took another moment to survey her surroundings. There was a very fine white dust of snow on the trees past the docks, from what she could see. There were a few people moving around the shoreline, but other than that, the place looked empty.

 _Maybe they're still in their cabins._

Korra made her way back into the underbelly of the ship. She stopped at the top of the stairs, sighed, and descended them one aching step at a time; she was starting to feel the effect of all that fighting yesterday.

 _Am I ever going to be not-tired and not-sore and not-headachy again?_

 _Maybe if you can get a solid night's sleep instead of a nightmare riddled one._

She groaned and rubbed the side of her head. "Yeah, you've got that right." She already knew her room was empty, so she searched the others. Each knock brought about silence. Each open door led to nothing but a barren room.

 _They didn't_ _leave_ _me here, right? They wouldn't just disappear to a different ship. Right?_

Korra was almost convinced of this notion when the helm, too, was vacant. It wasn't until she heard some banging from the back of the boat that she got her hopes up. She rounded the corner of the small corridor to find a metal floor door pulled open. The closer she got to the entrance, the louder the sounds were.

"Hello?"

There was no response.

 _Hmm…_

Korra gripped the railing and crept down the steps. The light was dim in this room. Machinery was everywhere around her. The clanking emanated from the back left corner. Her heart raced as she traced the noises further and further into the room.

"Asami? Mom? Dad?"

The sounds stopped. A quiet, eerie creaking filled the air as the boat bobbed in the water.

She looked around, unable to see anyone in the corners of the darkness. Korra crept around on her toes, listening, _waiting_.

 _Korra, you're being ridiculous. It's probably just –_

A loud grumble and several profanities echoed in the room. Korra pivoted, running towards the source of the noise, knowing in an instant who made the sounds from the muffled voice alone.

"Asami?!"


	13. Something

DOUBLE POST DAY WOOOOOOOOOOH

(except, only for this fic. Haha, sorry Korrasami week fans)

(-)

Chapter 13

 **Something**

"Korra?" Asami wiggled herself around until she emerged from her position under a large piece of machinery. Her face was dirty with grease and oil and dirt and sweat, as were her clothes. There was a reddening spot on her cheek with the onset of swelling. She had a socket wrench in her slippery gloved hands and a small headlight on her forehead. Her expression was mixed between excitement and concern upon sight of the Water Tribe girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. And I'm going to."

She sat up and wiped her face the best she could with the back of her gloves. She ran her palms over her pants to remove some of the gunk from her fingers. "We ran into some engine trouble on our way here. Tonraq was running the ship too hard and the whole system overheated. Quite a few bearings were misaligned and there were some electrical issues with the insides of the motors and generators. Some of stuff got fried, too, in an electric discharge from the overload. I might have to reroute and shut off most of the lights and other auxiliary equipment to power the engine room instead." Asami twisted around and grabbed a rolled up piece of paper. She stretched it out on her lap and retrieved a pen from behind her right ear. She scribbled something in the corner of the diagram. "I've been trying to work on repairs for a few hours now before rerouting the power to see just how much I have to take down."

"Is the damage that bad?"

Asami sighed and tossed the re-rolled sheet beside her. "It's not as cut and dry as that. First, we had to get to the nearest shore so we could dock and cool everything down. We got a leak in the cooling system and it caused everything to overheat, which was another issue that brought the ship down. Tonraq and Senna were Water Bending the boat while I was at the helm until the engine died completely. Lucky for us, we had some wind on our side. Not that we actually have sails, but it didn't hurt. We just got here not too long ago, though I'm not exactly sure where _here_ is." She crawled back under the equipment and continued turning her wrench, each rotation backwards generating a small clicking noise. "I couldn't find the drawings right away and even after I did, it took some time to identify everything. I haven't done much work with engines and systems this large, and from what I gathered when I started making repairs, this boat hasn't seen a maintenance crew in quite some time. It must have been scheduled for some repairs before we took it, which is probably why it was still docked there. Plus, having to wait for everything to cool down before I –" A cough erupted from her chest, forcing her to stop.

"Are you okay?" Korra got down to the floor and looked under the cramped space.

"I'm fine. It's just really dusty and hot under here. I'm almost done putting this small turbine back together. It needed oil and a new shaft. There weren't many spare parts or tools on board, but I made do with what I had. They must keep most of the maintenance supplies in the building and bring it onboard when they actually need it." With a few more turns, the final bolt was in place. She exhaled in relief – thankful that she hadn't dropped her wrench on her face for a _second_ time – and squirmed out of her spot.

Korra shifted so that she wasn't in Asami's way. She sat up just as Asami did.

"I still need to grease a few couplings and seal a few leaks in the steam pipes." Asami tossed the wrench into the top compartment of the small toolbox at her side. She brought her knees to her chest and rubbed her eyes, taking a moment to gather herself.

"You look tired, Asami. You didn't get a lot of sleep last night, did you?"

She shook her head and groaned her way to her feet. She eyed Korra before crossing the room for a ladder. "It doesn't look like you did, either."

Korra sighed and averted her gaze. "No, I didn't. I had another nightmare last night, but I –," she held her head at the onset of the too familiar pain, "– can't remember what it was about." She flipped onto her hands and knees so she could stand. "Is there anything I can do to help you out with all of this," she asked, looking to avoid discussion or even _contemplation_ about her dreams.

Asami was already unfolding the ladder next to a pipe hanging from the ceiling. "Do you know anything about couplings," she called over her shoulder as she ascended the steps.

"Bubblings?"

" _Couplings_."

"Oh. I have no idea what those are, Asami."

She chuckled and steadied herself. "I didn't think you did. But that's okay. If you want to help, you can hand me that face shield and blowtorch. The crack isn't too big, so I don't think I'll need my filler rod; I don't have too much left in that rod anyway, so I'd rather save it incase anything happens on the rest of our trip. I've emptied this line already and this leak is small enough for me to weld if I use small circles." Asami ran her fingers over the damaged pipe to gauge it.

"I can do that. I think..." Korra looked around the room, scratching her head. "Where exactly are those two things, again?"

Asami pushed on the bottom of the pipe, adjusting it so that the two ends of the crack were aligned. "It should be around here somewhere. By the toolbox or by the water coolant pump in the corner. I thought I had to weld that flange, too, but it actually just needed a new ring and some tightening. Luckily, the parts were here. You're not _supposed_ to weld those things shut, but if it stands in the way of us getting to the Southern Water Tribe... This little split up here, though, is just at the base of the connection, so welding it won't ruin the flange."

"Right," Korra replied, as if she knew a damn thing about what Asami was talking about. She stumbled around the grates until she found a grey-colored canister with a handle, a spout, and a lever on it. Next to it was a large rectangular piece of metal with a small horizontal slot on it and a strap on the back. "Does it look like a weird-shaped teapot sort of thing and a, um, metal mask?"

"That's the one."

Korra smiled and grabbed the equipment. She handed Asami the mask first and the torch second.

"Thanks, Korra. This shouldn't take too long." Asami held the pipe up with one hand and flicked the torch to life with the other. "I would take a few steps back, though. In case anything drops."

"Right." She did as she was told and observed Asami from across the room. Her eyes wandered along the curves of Asami's body, her cheeks reddening when she realized what she was doing. Korra turned away, one hand holding her elbow while the other held the side of her head, a nervous expression on her face.

 _Relax, Korra. Calm down._

Once the sparking finished and the hum of the torch stopped, Asami lifted her mask. Her eyes fell on Korra. "Are you alright, Korra?"

She spun around and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! No worries here." She let out an anxious laugh and avoided eye contact.

Asami chuckled as she descended the ladder. She held the shield and torch in front of Korra's abdomen, prompting her to take them. "Keep an eye on these for me, would you? I have to grease the couplings and fittings on this pump, and then I want to double check the motor and check everything else to make sure they're tight. I might need that later when I run through the lines again."

"Yeah, sure, Asami. I'll hold them for you."

"Great." She grinned at her before grabbing her greasing gun from the toolbox. "I've already fixed the alignment issue, and I probably should have just done this earlier, but I wasn't thinking straight." She flicked her headlight on and bent over in front of the pump. A loud crash behind her forced her upright. Asami spun around to find a frozen, blushing Korra. She raised her eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.

It took Korra a moment to realize she even dropped the torch and face shield. When she did, her reddening worsened out of embarrassment. "Sorry about that, Asami." She gathered the items and held them tight in her arms. "I just – I, uh, I –"

 _Good job, Korra. Well done._

 _Your exhaustion is really messing with your mind, isn't it?_

 _I think it is._

 _Or is Asami not the only one who wasn't thinking straight?_

Korra's color intensified.

 _Wh – what? What do you mean?_

 _You're not usually this nervous around Asami._

 _I know that._

 _Calm down. Relax._

 _Pfft, like it's that easy._

Asami smiled and shook her head before returning to her work. "Just be careful, Korra. That fuel is flammable. I wouldn't want it to get on your clothes or something."

"Right. Sorry. Won't happen again." Korra turned her head away, trying her damnedest not to look at Asami. "You're really smart when it comes to all of this stuff, Asami. Well, you're really smart when it comes to _everything_ – I – anyway, did you learn about this stuff from your dad?"

She stopped greasing for a moment, her heart dropping just an inch. "Yeah. I did." Her tone was solemn as she went back to her work. As much as she wanted to get to the Southern Water Tribe, she had actually been thankful for the engine failure; she felt at ease when she was working with her hands, making repairs on equipment or building things up from scratch. Give her a wrench or a blow torch or a screwdriver and she'd be off to the races with whatever piece of machinery was in front of her. And if her hands were busy, then her _mind_ was busy, and in all honesty, she could use a good mental distraction at this point. It wouldn't be the _first_ time that she's gone to the workshop for hours, dirtying herself up to keep her less desirable thoughts at bay.

And at the rate things were going, she knew it wouldn't be the last.

Korra eyed her for a moment, noticing the change in her mood; she even looked different while she worked, not that Korra really knew what the hell it was that Asami was doing. She adjusted her hold on the tools in her hands and watched the engineer work in silence.

After Asami greased the couplings and fittings, she moved to the motor. Once she was done with that, she checked the coolant and steam pipes again for cracks and splits. She ran through the entire system once more, looking for anything she could tighten or fix with her limited supplies and tools. Her hands found her hips as a satisfied grin hit her face. "I've done everything I can do. If this works, the engine will be running again and I won't have to redirect power. It won't go nearly as fast, but it'll be enough to get us to the Southern Water Tribe in a day or two, depending on how quick we can actually go." She walked up to Korra and pulled the torch and face shield from her tan hands. "Thank-you." She smiled and spun around, placing the tools next to her red and black box by the staircase. "If you want, you can take this stuff upstairs for me. I'm going to unlock all the equipment down here and try to start the engine from the helm, if you want to meet me there."

"O – okay."

Korra needed two trips to carry all the various supplies that Asami had. Once she was done, she stood in the helm and waited for Asami's return. Her heart was racing and she couldn't explain why.

 _Just relax, Korra. Breathe._

She closed her eyes and inhaled, filling her lungs.

"Don't fall asleep on me, now." Asami smirked as she walked by, taking Korra by surprise.

"What? No, I'm not – I'm not sleeping."

She chuckled and approached the wheel. "Alright, fingers crossed that this works." She flicked a few switches and hit several buttons. With a twist of a knob, the engine roared to life. It was much louder and much more strained than before but it was working, and that's all that Asami needed it to do for now. She grinned and switched it off, allowing the boat to come to a dead silence.

"So, it works, right? We're good to go?"

Asami nodded. "We're all set. We should go find your parents and let them know."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask; where _are_ they?"

Asami wiped her face with the back of her dirty gloves. "They went with Naga onto the island to find the nearest village and gather supplies. Hopefully the locals are friendly." She leaned her back against the edge of the console, her front facing Korra. She crossed her arms and smirked, an eyebrow raised and a subconscious confidence washing over her after her victory against the engine. "Care to take a walk?"

Korra felt… something. She couldn't explain it. But something inside of her riled up. Was it Asami's demeanor? Her body? Her smile and peridots that were laced with what she _thought_ was excitement and adventure? Her tone? Korra's exhaustion? A combination of them all?

 _I must really be fucking losing it, aren't I?_

There was no response in her head. She gave an internal shrug. Whatever it was, she went with it. "Absolutely."

(-)


	14. Jagged

Chapter 14

 **Jagged**

The pair searched around for the nearest restroom so they could wash up.

Asami was able to clean most of the grime from her face and neck, but she couldn't get it out of her clothes. She played with her raven locks, shaking the dirt out and attempting to style them with her hands. She adjusted her jacket and collar, ignoring the small sting in her back from her baton injury.

Korra ran her fingers through her loose brown hair, wishing she had a tie to put her rear wolf tail back up to match the front two. She tried washing the dried blood from her shirt with no luck. The small scar on her right bicep from the Triple Threat Earth Bender caught her eye. She traced over it, looking at the jagged mark for the first time in actual light.

"I've gotten a lot of scars these past few months," she muttered to herself, her pupils targeting the horizontal line on her left cheek.

 _And not just physical ones, either._

Asami glanced over to her with sadness in her peridots. "Is there any way for Water Benders to get rid of scars?"

She shook her head.

"They can heal bones and other intense injuries, but not _scars_?"

"Water Bending Healing is more about speeding up the body's natural healing process. They don't _make_ the cells. They direct the energy to move the process along at an accelerated rate."

"That… actually makes sense, from a scientific point of view. If they help the cells get more energy, the cells can divide faster."

"Exactly." Korra smiled and turned to her. "How do I look?" She grinned, holding her arms out at her sides as if putting herself on display.

Asami held her chin in fake contemplation and raised her eyebrow. "Spin around for me?"

She rotated in her spot, limbs still outstretched. "So? Do I look okay or do I look like I just crawled out of the ground?"

Their eyes met and neither of them could hold their laughter in. They both bent over, gripping their abdomens as they giggled. When they straightened, their pupils connected once more. They somehow managed to get closer to each other during their gleeful bout. The pair was motionless for a while, getting lost in the colorful, yet tired, irises before them. When they realized _just_ _how close_ they were, deep blushes hit their cheeks, forcing them to turn away in embarrassment.

"We should get going."

Korra scratched the back of her head, a sheepish look on her face. "Yeah, let's go."

(-)

They stepped onto the cold, sandy shore with a bit of wobble in their footwork. Each of them was exhausted, and the texture of the grains under their feet came at a bit of a shock to their bodies. They crossed the beach and approached the winding path that split two mountains on either side. Their advanced slowed to a stop at the same time.

"Well, I think this is our only option. I don't see why my parents _wouldn't_ go this way."

"Do you think one of the dock workers over there know where they went?"

Korra rotated to squint at the two men, dressed in blue robes, sitting by the shore. "It wouldn't hurt to ask." She led the way. "Hey, um, excuse me? You didn't happen to see two people from the Water Tribe and a giant polar bear dog pass through here, did you?"

They stopped and glanced between the two women in front of them; one was covered in dried blood, the other dried oil. Both had tired eyes and tired postures.

The older of the pair, a man with light skin and dark grey hair, responded, deciding it best to hold his comments and questions. "We did. Gave them directions to Shili, a small village down that path right over there. It's a bit of a hike, but it's the closest one to the shore if you need a place to stop."

"How long of a walk is it?"

"Not too long. An hour or two, at most."

"Just make sure you take the beaten trail at the fourth left bend," the other man spoke up, a bit of concern in his eyes. "If you only go straight, you'll just get stuck in the mountains. And you don't want to get stuck in the mountains this time of year."

"Why?" Asami stepped forward from behind Korra.

"The wildlife gets a bit finicky when it gets cold. They start hunting more, making sure they've got enough fat for the winter and food for their young, though most of their babies are almost adults at this point. If you're not careful, the cougar bears will get ya."

"Cougar bears? I've never heard of cougar bears before."

The older man nodded. "Body of a bear, minus the tail and claws and teeth, temperament and hunting skills of a cougar, except for the whole hibernating thing."

She narrowed her eyes. "Hmmm." She hummed in contemplation before focusing on the task at hand. "Okay, so, down the path, fourth left bend. Look out for cougar bears. Is there anything else Asami and I need to know?"

He shook his head. "Nope, that'll do."

Korra bowed to the pair. "Thank-you for your help."

"You're quite welcome, stranger."

When the women were out of earshot, the younger man faced his companion and whispered. "What the hell do you think happened to them?"

The older man shrugged. "It isn't any of our business to know or ask, now is it?"

"I suppose."

(-)

They returned to the path ahead of them and halted at its entrance. "You ready for this, Asami?"

She nodded and stepped forward.

Korra increased her stride until she was beside the Asami again.

They moved at a slow pace, too tired to go any faster. The sun was still high in the sky as they made their way to Shili. The breeze picked up as they travelled, the air shifting from that of the somewhat warm, salty ocean wind to the cold chill of higher elevation.

It wasn't long before Asami started shivering.

"Here," Korra unlatched her pelt from her waist and handed it to her, "warm up."

She smiled and took the offering. "Are you sure? I don't want to get it oily."

"It's fine. I've got another one at home."

Asami hesitated for a moment before wrapping the fur around her torso. "Thank-you."

Korra grinned, feeling a bit more at ease. She took a step closer to Asami.

She could feel the heat radiate off of Korra and wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in that warmth. After her kiss last night, though, she stuck to her logical side and refrained from touching her at all. "Have you ever been here before, Korra?"

"You know, I think I might have. I don't remember it all that well, but I think it was when I was younger. It was a lot warmer then, I think. But I'm not sure. This place does seem _familiar_ , though."

"Did you and your parents ever go here on vacation? Or maybe you stopped by on your way up to Republic City for school?"

She shook her head. "No, this was different. It was a different time. It _had_ to be when I was younger, though. Everything was so much taller than me."

"And everything isn't taller than you _now_?"

"Hey, I'm tall! I'm taller than you are!"

Asami stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Korra, I'm taller than you by at _least_ two inches."

"No, you're not!" She took a step forward. The closer she got, the more she realized Asami was right. "Wait… you _are_ taller than me. When did I get so short?!" Korra exaggerated her exasperation as she bent down to look at her legs.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Korra, I've been taller than you since the day we met in chem lab."

"Really?" She thought back to that afternoon, standing in the hallway as they made plans to get dinner that evening and study for their lab quiz. She could still see herself smiling up at Asami, thinking ' _Wow, she's taller than me.'_

A pout crossed her face, prompting Asami to giggle further.

"Dammit, Asami." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Come on; let's keep going," she replied through her amusement. "We don't want to get eaten by cougar bears, now do we?"

"No, I guess not."

They started walking again, closer to each other now than they were before.

"It _would_ be interesting to see one, though. I've never even _heard_ of cougar bears before." There was a gleam in Korra's eyes that Asami didn't notice right away.

"Maybe they made them up to scare us."

"I don't think so. They gave us a description of what they looked like and how they acted. They've _got_ to be real. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Asami?"

Asami caught the ocean irises beside her.

 _Oh_ _no._

"We are _not_ going to go looking for those vicious beasts, Korra."

"Why not? It would be an adventure! Besides, you took on some hog monkeys, you can take on a cougar bear, too."

"You greatly overestimate my abilities."

"What, is Asami Sato _scared_ of a little cougar bear?"

"Korra, you've never even _seen_ a cougar bear before. From the description, it doesn't sound like they're all that small." She tightened the pelt around her torso to combat an oncoming chill. "Besides, we have to get to your parents, remember?"

"Fine. We won't go _delving_ into the forest to look for one. But if it _happens_ to get dark –"

The look on Asami's face was enough for Korra to reconsider her plan of faking an injury, and her backup plan of getting them lost on purpose.

"–then I'll make sure we get to the village and meet up with my parents and Naga right away and don't go looking for the cougar bears."

Asami smiled. "Thank-you. If it was warmer and I wasn't so exhausted, I would definitely be on board for it. But right now, we should focus on getting to shelter and getting some food."

Korra's stomach growled on cue; she had forgotten that it had been so long since she ate. "You're right, Asami." She frowned and looked away.

"Afterwards, if we aren't too tired, _then_ we can go out and look for some cougar bears. We'll bring Naga with us in case we need to make a quick getaway. How does that sound?"

"Perfect." She smiled, though the mention of being tired brought her fatigue back to the foreground of her mind. Korra yawned and stretched her arms out. She almost hovered one of them over Asami's shoulders, but pulled away at the last second.

Asami observed her, hesitant in her question. Her curiosity got the best of her; she fixed things – that was just what she _did_ , and right now, she had some pieces to Korra that she wanted to try and put together, just like that engine on the ship they stole. She couldn't tell if she was running off of confidence from her last project under the machinery or plain enervation, but she went with it. "So you don't remember anything about your dream last night? The nightmare?"

Korra rubbed her head. "Not really. It's all just a blur. It's been happening a lot lately, ever since I got in that stupid earth prison. Everything is just getting hazy, like something is clouding my mind and taking over." She gritted her teeth to the small amount of pain that shook her skull.

"I wonder if they're related."

"What? The earth prison and my issues?"

"No. The _dreams_."

"Ohhh." She paused for a moment in contemplation. "Maybe they are. I – I don't know, though. The more I dream, the harder it is for me to remember the old ones."

"Do you remember the first one you had?"

"Kinda?" Korra closed her eyes and inhaled. "There's this one dream I had right before the Triple Threats attacked me. But it feels real, like it happened before, or maybe I heard a story about it and put myself there or something. There was some sort of battle. I couldn't see it, but my mom was there with me in the room while it was happening. She was holding me. I think I was young; my hands were really small. When the noises stopped, my dad came in and hugged us." She massaged her temples, the throb worsening.

"Did anything else happen?"

"Not really. The part I don't understand is that Master Zuko and Tenzin were –" She growled and staggered a bit, her head swaying.

"Easy, easy." Asami faced her and held her shoulders up. "We'll talk about this later, okay? I don't want you to fall over and roll down the mountain."

Korra looked up and gulped at the sight before her, the only thing standing between her and what she saw being Asami's exposed back. "A – Asami… I think that's going to be the _least_ of our problems right now…"

(-)


	15. Shock

Chapter 15

 **Shock**

Asami rotated as slow as possible, bracing herself for whatever it was that was behind her. There stood a mighty beast about double her height, with the body of a bear and the fangs, claws, and tail of a cougar. Its eyes were green like that of a cougar, too, as well as its whiskers and snout shape. It rose from its front paws and hissed. When it touched the ground again, it pounced.

"Run!" They both yelled at the same time, each of them sprinting beside one another. They ran off the central path along the flatter side of the mountain to their left.

"Are you satisfied _now_ , Korra?"

"I honestly didn't think that cougar bears would be that big! Or hunt during the day! Or hunt _us_!"

"Look out!"

Asami jumped over a large branch while Korra slid underneath it.

She caught up to Asami, huffing as they ran. "Do you have any idea where you're going?"

"Yeah, away from _that_ thing!" She pointed behind her to the cougar bear just as it smashed right through the branch they had dodged, hot on their tail.

They ran through the forest, avoiding tree after tree and slipping into paths that were too narrow for the animal to pursue them.

It was no matter for the cougar bear; it just went around the obstacles at a quicker rate.

They could almost feel the animals' breath on their backs. Their legs were getting tired from the sprinting, but they kept going. The mountain was steep beside them, too steep to climb. The cliff to the left of them was too vertical to descend. Soon, the shrubs were replaced with a stone path. They kept going, approaching a ledge leading down to a small lake.

 _Shit._

"Asami? Do you think cougar bears can swim? Because I think we're about to find out!" She grabbed Asami's hand as they reached the edge, knowing there was nowhere else to go but down; they certainly couldn't fight this beast on their own.

The cougar bear lunged at them, seeing that its prey was going to escape.

With a deep breath, they jumped.

The wind whipped through their hair as they plummeted. Korra refused to release the gloved palm in hers. She pulled Asami closer and wrapped herself around Asami's torso. With a slight redirection of her weight, she angled her body so that the back of her left shoulder made contact with the water.

They slammed under the surface, the cold liquid soaking into their clothes with ease.

Korra kicked up to the waterline, Asami in her arms. The pair emerged, gasping for breath. There was a potent sting on Korra's back where she smacked the water.

"Are you okay, Asami?"

She nodded, though she was a bit disoriented from the ordeal. They rotated and squinted at the cliff above them. The cougar bear growled and cried out in frustration before sulking away with a huff.

"I don't want to go find cougar bears anymore, if that's alright with you, Asami."

After bobbing her head, Asami laughed and pushed on Korra's right shoulder in a playful manner. "Come on; we've got to get to the land and figure out where the _hell_ we are."

"Good idea."

They swam to the shore and plopped onto the sand, grateful that the cougar bear stopped its hunt. The grains stuck to their skin and clothes, adding an additional layer of dirt to their bodies. They panted and closed their eyes, utterly tired of this day. Neither of them looked forward to navigating this unknown terrain, or at least, _trying_ to.

"Do you know which way we were heading before the cougar attacked?"

"I think we were only on the second left bend, but the road itself was pointing east when we ran the opposite way." Asami sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I guess our best bet would be to head in that direction."

"How about _no_ direction?"

Within a split second after the rhetorical question, they were surrounded by at least ten women, all of which were wearing dark green robes with black frontal padding. They each held a metal fan in one of their hands. Their faces were painted red and white, similar to –

 _Kyoshi._

Korra gritted her teeth and buried her fingers into her hair from a mental pain.

Asami was on her feet, prepared to defend and protect the woman beside her. "Who are you and what do you want with us?"

"We're not here to answer questions. We're here to _ask_ them." One of the women – who was an inch or two taller than the rest – approached the pair, fan at the ready.

Asami growled inside and adjusted her footing.

"Who are _you_ and why are you in the protected forest?"

"Protected forest?"

"Don't play dumb with me." She snapped the fan in Asami's face.

Asami had to fight the urge to rip it right out of the woman's hand. She kept her arms at her sides, though her fists tightened.

 _Calm down, Sato. Calm down. Don't do anything you'll regret._

"We didn't know this was a protected forest. A cougar bear was chasing us and this is where we ended up."

"And how are we to know that you aren't poachers?" Another painted woman spoke up.

"If we were poachers, don't you think we would have equipment with us? Or did you think we were going to catch them with our bare hands?"

"You could have gotten chased away from your equipment. Or you could be Benders."

"I'm not a Bender."

"And what about the Water Tribe girl who's with you?" The leader pointed to the woman at Asami's feet.

Asami glanced at Korra, a bit of worry in her eyes.

"Seize them!"

Asami morphed to a defensive stance, preparing to take the women on.

"Wait!" Korra threw her hands up, her head pounding. Each of them froze in their tracks as she stumbled to her feet. "I know you. I know who you are."

"Oh _really_?"

" _Yes._ " She held onto one of Asami's shoulders for support, a grimace on her face. "You're Kyoshi Warriors."

The leader shifted her weight to her other foot, an unimpressed expression on her face.

"Look, we aren't poachers, we're just lost." Asami took over, noticing Korra's pain. "Our ship broke down on our way to the Southern Water Tribe and we docked here so that I could make repairs. We were heading to Shili when the cougar bear attacked us."

"Why do you want to go to Shili?"

"My parents are there. Chief Tonraq. And my polar bear dog." Korra groaned, the pain intensifying. Her legs buckled.

"Korra!" Asami lowered herself with Korra to keep her from smashing into the ground. She held her close.

The leader crouched beside the pair and put her fan away. "What's wrong with her?" She placed her palm on Korra's forehead, much to Asami's chagrin. "She doesn't have a fever or anything. Is she sick?"

"She's been through a lot these past few days. She needs rest."

She paused, taking the strangers into consideration. She rose and turned to her companions. "We will escort these two to Shili. If their story proves to be false," she met Asami's peridots with suspicious eyes, "we'll let the village handle their punishment."

Asami bit her tongue and helped Korra to her feet. She swung one of her tan arms around her shoulders, her other hand tight on her torso to keep her in place. They whispered between each other as they walked, the Warriors surrounding them on all sides. "Are you alright, Korra?"

"I didn't know we were on Kyoshi Island."

"Is that bad?"

Korra shook her head. "No, it's not bad, I don't think. But… I'm pretty sure I saw this island in my dream last night." She staggered a moment upon the thought, a palm to her temple.

"It's hurting to remember again, isn't it?"

She nodded.

Asami adjusted her hold. "We'll get you somewhere so you can rest, okay?"

She repeated her motion and closed her eyes, just for a few seconds. For once, something mind boggling or pain inducing didn't fill her sight. It was simple darkness. She inhaled and sighed, steadying herself. "I can do this." Korra pulled herself off of Asami and took a few shaky steps on her own.

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm." Determination set in. It almost felt like she was walking to Caldera City again, except this time she was surrounded by Asami and Kyoshi Warrior women instead of General Iroh and his United Forces men. She also wasn't as tired and rickety, which was a good thing; she didn't need to almost fall down anymore mountainsides.

"So, what happened to you?" The leader of the group walked on Korra's opposing side.

When Korra raised a confused eyebrow, the woman added "your shirt." She nodded towards the stain. "That's blood, isn't it?"

She bobbed her head. "Yeah. This guy stabbed me yesterday."

" _Stabbed_ you? Why did he stab you?" Her tone was suspicious.

"We're from Republic City," Asami interjected, "we were attacked by a group called the Strikers who –"

"The _Strikers_?" One of the other women from the back called out.

Asami looked over her shoulder and nodded. "Do you know anything about them?"

"I've heard about them. My sister says they defend the Non-Benders in the City and protect them from corrupt Benders."

"If by protect, you mean _murder_ , then yes, that's what they do." Korra commented, a dark sting in her words.

"They _kill_ Non-Benders?"

"No. They kill _Benders_. Murder them in cold blood. That's what they tried to do to us, to my parents." Korra switched her focus from the woman behind her to the leader beside her. "We were camping out on the southeastern end of the City when they attacked us. They did some sort of chi blocking on them and –"

" _Chi blocking_?" The leader stopped. The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors halted as well. "Did you say _chi blocking_?"

Korra and Asami turned to her, half a pace ahead. "Yeah. Why?"

The leader spun around to the Warrior who had asked about the Strikers, her eyes holding a bit of anger. "We're going to have a talk about your sister _later_ , Yoki." She put her back to the woman after she finished her statement.

"You act like she's not _your_ sister, too." The woman grumbled a notch above a whisper, her fan loose at her side.

"Let's keep moving. We don't want it to get dark before we arrive." The leader stepped forward, her group following on cue.

"Because of the cougar bears?" Korra asked, once the pair caught up to her.

"Because of a _lot_ of things." She kept her focus ahead. "I'm Okema, the leader of this and all other Kyoshi Warriors on the Island."

"Okema? That's a Southern name."

She paused for a moment, just enough for Korra to notice.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe, aren't you?"

"No. I was born here, on Kyoshi Island. But my mother was born in the south, as was my grandfather."

 _Wait a minute…_

"Was your grandmother from Kyoshi Island as well?"

Okema nodded.

"No way. Asami," she nudged the engineer beside her and halted until everyone else did the same, "this is Chief Sokka's _granddaughter_."

Every single painted face was wide with shock, including Okema's. Korra's was full of delight while Asami's was somewhat confused.

"I didn't know Chief Sokka had any children, but then again, I don't know much about him. He passed when I was only a child."

The blood drained from Korra's skin. Her dream floated to the forefront of her mind. She turned to Asami and clutched her shoulders. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Chief Sokka died when I was a child? I think I was four or five when it happened. I remember hearing it on the radio, because he was the Chairman of the Council. It was a huge deal. My mother was pretty upset about it." Her face grew as sad as Korra's was stunned. "She really liked him as a leader. He was always fair in his judgments and he looked out for the Non-Benders in the City." She took another look at the woman in front of her. "Is everything okay, Korra?"

An image flashed across her sight. An older woman, sobbing, with an Air Bender and a Fire Bender comforting her.

 _"He was brave, Katara. He was a brother to us all. He'll – he'll be missed."_

"No."

(-)


	16. A deal

It's the fifteenth! You know what that means? Celebration time! Here's two chapters!

(Sorry for the feels, btw).

(-)

Chapter 16

 **A deal**

"Korra? Do you want to sit down for a minute?"

She shook her head. "It wasn't a dream, Asami. It wasn't a dream."

" _What_ wasn't a dream?"

"Master Katara, she… she never told me. She told me he died in a battle, but she – she never –" Korra gritted her teeth and rubbed her temple. A jolt of pain shook her, forcing her to stagger.

"Shhh, relax. I've got you." Asami pulled Korra into an embrace, stroking her hair to calm her while keeping her steady on her feet with the crooks of her elbows.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Just give us a minute, please, Okema."

"I was _there_ , Asami. I was young but I was there in the Southern Water Tribe when he died and I didn't even know it. It wasn't a dream, it was _real_. That – that dream I was telling you about. It was _real_." A soft growl escaped her with the onset of more throbbing.

"Breathe, Korra. Breathe. It's going to be okay."

She took two loud inhales and blew them out. Her face perplexed for a moment, her thoughts enough to quell her sadness for the time being. She pushed off of Asami, thanking her with her eyes alone, and faced Okema. "I don't understand, though. Master Katara never even mentioned that Sokka had a child."

"I'm _not_ Sokka's granddaughter, Korra."

"But –"

"There are _plenty_ of other people who come up from the Southern Water Tribe and end up staying on the Island. It's been that way for _generations_." She took a step closer and met Korra's eyes with fire in hers. Okema maintained an intimidating gaze as she spoke. "Let's keep moving. We have to get to Shili before nightfall." She turned from her and marched forward, her comrades hesitant for just a second before joining her.

"That was weird…" Korra watched after the group, befuddled.

"Yeah, it was." Asami faced Korra, concern in her peridots. "Are you alright?"

"I'm – I'm fine. I guess it was…" She sighed and started walking, though her steps were slow. She continued when Asami caught up with her. "It's just _weird_ , Asami. Unless if that's just some whack dream. I mean, kids have crazy imaginations, and I was half asleep in the dream anyways, so it couldn't _possibly_ be true… right?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but Korra jumped in again.

"I mean, what would Master Zuko and Tenzin even be _doing_ in the Southern Water Tribe? Why would there be a battle? I get why it would involve my dad, but who else was involved? If the dream _was_ true, I get why Master Katara was crying and why Master Zuko said what he said but _why were they even_ _there_ _,_ Asami? I just don't get it!" She threw her hands up in frustration and grimaced at the pain in her skull. "I think I'm losing my mind, Asami. I need sleep. _Real_ sleep. All these dreams and voices and hallucinations are driving me mad."

"Voices?"

Korra's heart sunk; she'd forgotten that she hadn't told Asami about the voice in her mind that tormented her. She lowered her head, realizing her own defeat. "Yeah. Voices. Well, only one voice. I keep saying voices, but there's only one. Just _one_ voice. I'm _not_ crazy."

"No, you're not. I think you're just very tired and confused." She noticed the agony Korra was in with each advance in the conversation. "We'll talk about this later if you want, when you're feeling better and this doesn't hurt so much."

She caught Asami's eyes, her own blue pair reflecting gratitude. Korra took a step closer to her and nudged her, resting her head for a moment in the crook of her neck before straightening again; she was in too much pain and exhaustion to communicate all of her feelings through words.

Asami couldn't help but smile.

 _Just like Naga._

 _Or is Naga just like her?_

 _Are they really all that different?_

She glanced at Korra. Her grin widened.

 _Not really._

They all halted when Okema raised her fist to the side of her head, about half a foot away from her ear. The Kyoshi Warriors crouched down beneath the bushes. Korra and Asami did the same. A faint howl could be heard in the distance, echoing from far away. Another growl and a yelp followed.

Korra jumped to her feet and ran towards the sound.

"Korra? What are you doing?!" Asami chased afterwards, the others staring after them in confusion.

"That was _Naga!_ "

Asami needed no further explanation. She caught up with her and they sprinted through the forest, oblivious to what and who they left behind them.

"Come on, ladies! They're going to need all of the help that they can get!" Okema urged her comrades forward. They followed the strange pair, alert and ready to fight.

(-)

"Naga!? Naga?!" Korra called as loud as she could, refusing to stop until her polar bear dog was in sight. "Naga!?" She put her fingers together and whistled, its sharp sound penetrating the forest like a battering ram through a pine door.

When she heard the squeals of a scuffle, she doubled her speed, ignoring the pain in her legs from doing so.

Asami was right on her tail, eyes scanning and searching for clues.

The Kyoshi Warriors weren't far behind. They spread out to cover more ground as they sprinted.

Each foot closer brought about new sounds.

Snarling.

Gnarling.

Biting.

Fighting.

Smashing.

Splashing.

 _Splashing?_

Korra was the first to burst through the tree line, and the moment when she froze in her tracks, she really wished she _hadn't_ been.

To her left were two large cougar bears that surrounded her Water Bending parents.

To the right, a cougar bear was trying to dig its claws into Naga.

Dead ahead of her was a fourth, who was rummaging through the abandoned bags of supplies, nose against the fabric.

Her instincts sent her straight to Naga, though her mind had told her to wait for everyone else to come.

"Get away from her!" Her growl was almost as menacing as the animals in the scrap. The cougar bear paid no attention to her, focusing solely on its potential kill. Korra jumped as high as she could and grabbed hold of a chunk of the predator's dark brown fur. It cried and tried to swat her away.

She was having _none_ of it.

Korra pulled herself up its back, wedging her body between its shoulder blades where the cougar bear couldn't reach her.

Naga took advantage of the distraction to swipe at the animal's belly, using both of her powerful front paws. The blow was strong enough to draw blood. The cougar bear tossed Korra off with a flick of its torso, but backed away from the angry polar bear dog.

Korra bounced off of the ground multiple times just as Asami and the Kyoshi Warriors sprinted into the center of the clearing.

The Warriors split themselves between the four beasts.

Asami ran to Korra, noticing her ejection from the back of the cougar bear. She knelt down beside her and held Korra's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and sat up, groaning from the pain in her sides. Her eyes wandered between the humans, her polar bear dog, and the cougar bears. She met the light green irises of the baby animals hiding in the brush behind their mothers, cowering away, and felt their terror in her chest.

 _Korra, what are you doing?_

Korra scrambled to her feet, running on instinct alone, because she _knew_.

"Everybody _stop_!" She walked into the middle of the clearing, her hands up just above shoulder height and her arms outstretched to either side.

Asami rose – face in shock – as everyone, even the cougar bears, froze in their places.

 _Korra, what are you_ _doing_ _?_

She ignored the repeated question and followed the powerful pulse inside of her. "Listen. We need to stop fighting."

The humans looked at her with confusion. The cougar bears and her polar bear dog lifted their heads, attentive.

"We all want the same thing." She approached the two green bags in front of one of the cougar bears and opened it. Inside was a small array of fruits, vegetables, and dried meat. She grabbed a piece of the latter and took cautious steps towards the bushes.

All of the little cubs backed up for a moment, except for one. Its green eyes stayed locked on the oceans moving towards it.

Korra knelt down several feet away and offered the meat. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

The baby animal stepped out of its hiding spot, slow and steady. It sniffed the air as it went. One of its ears flicked back and forth. It stopped about a foot or two from Korra in hesitation.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the two. Their hearts almost stopped beating.

The cub put one paw closer. And another. And another. When it was within range, its small teeth sunk into the edge of the piece of meat. It hardly wasted time chewing before swallowing the hunk.

Korra smiled, preparing herself to stand.

What she wasn't expecting was the baby animal coming closer to her.

She held her position as the cub rubbed against her hand. Her expression softened as she stroked its spotty fur. "You must be part of a late litter, aren't you?"

The cougar bear purred against her.

"I know why you attacked us." She rose and locked onto the adult cougar bear closest to her. "You just wanted to take care of your babies. _All_ of you did." Korra gestured at the line of wild animals around her. "But attacking and killing us is not the answer. People can be your friends, not your food." She took a step towards the cougar bear and reached her hand out.

The animal snarled back at her, bearing its teeth.

Naga was between them in an instant, growling with the same amount of intensity – if not moreso.

"Easy, girl. I've got this." She stroked the neck of her polar bear dog and faced the cougar bear. "Let's make a deal. I'll help you feed your cubs and you let us pass, unharmed."

"Korra, why do you want to help them? They tried to _kill_ us. They're just wild animals." Tonraq bellowed, keeping some water swirling around him.

"Normally, I'd agree with you. But something is _different_ this time." She looked down and met the eyes of the baby animal she hand fed.

 _Of course._

"It's the cubs, dad. They're just little babies." She knelt down and offered her hand. The baby cougar bear ran up to her and rubbed against her, acting more like a kitten than a cub. "Who knows how long it's been since they ate. Sure, the adults come and go. But the babies…" She stared at the little animal beside her. "They might not make it through the winter if they don't eat. They're too young to know how to hunt and if poachers are killing the adults… The least we can do is share some of our food with them. We've got plenty." Korra rose and returned to the bag. She removed half of the dried meat and spread it before the bush. "There."

The rest of the cubs – taking the lead of the affectionate baby cougar bear – scrambled from the shrub and scarfed up the food.

She turned back to the adults with her hands on her hips. "There. Your babies are fed. Now unless you want to risk another fight, let us pass."

One of the smaller cougar bears growled and dug its nails into the dirt, ready to pounce; it had been the same one that was battling Naga earlier in the scuffle.

Korra faced it without an ounce of fear on her face.

When the animal lunged, it wasn't Naga or Tonraq or Asami that jumped in the way; it was another cougar bear, a much _larger_ cougar bear, the one that Korra had been addressing about the deal. She snarled at her own kind, roaring until the other backed away. Once it was at a good distance, the defending beast twisted around to Korra and nodded.

The attacking cougar bear roared in frustration and circled in the corner.

"Thank-you." Korra bowed to the alpha and scurried to the bags. She threw them over her shoulders. She spun around to her human companions, all of whom were frozen in awe. A grin crawled onto her face as she approached them. "We should get out of here before they change their minds," she spoke through her teeth, concern starting to pour back into her.

The Kyoshi Warriors nodded and returned to the forest. Tonraq was hesitant, keeping his eyes on the cougar bears as he stepped towards his daughter. Senna followed him. Asami was at her side in an instant, though the shock didn't leave her expression.

"Come on, Naga." Korra ushered her polar bear dog with a wave. The animal locked eyes with the hostile cougar bear that she had been fighting with and snarled, teeth bared, before joining Korra past the forest line.

Once she was close, Korra tossed the bags onto Naga's saddle. "Hope you don't mind, girl. Don't worry; I saved some meat for you." She rubbed her floppy ears. "I'm glad you weren't hurt. I didn't want that to happen to you."

Naga licked Korra's cheek and rubbed against her. They walked side-by-side, trailing the group as they moved further away from the predators and further away from the main road.

(-)


	17. The truth

Bonus chapter!

(-)

Chapter 17

 **The truth**

The group walked in silence, each of them mulling over what had just occurred. Korra was glued to Naga as if they were a single unit, caressing her fur while they travelled.

In all honesty, Tonraq was surprised she wasn't just _riding_ the polar bear dog. In fact, he was surprised at almost _everything_ that had just happened. Things had been going well when they went out for their supply run. The path was simple. The locals were welcoming (though being Chief of the Southern Water Tribe didn't go unnoticed by them). They had offered to share some food with them, as well as water containers and a map for their journey. In exchange, Tonraq agreed to help clear some of the debris out of their river that had fallen in during a storm from a few days prior. Senna purified some of the drinking well water with her Bending. Naga was given the task of catching some fish, which she excelled at. Once the jobs were complete and a meal was shared, they went on their way with their earned supplies, satisfied from their day of work.

From then on was when the disbelief hit. They managed to attract not one, but _four_ cougar bears, which they had managed to avoid for the entirety of their trip to Shili. They failed at outrunning them and were forced to fight. Out of the distance, he hears his daughter call and whistle – out of _nowhere_ , really, since he assumed she was still on the boat. And out she comes, as fierce as her polar bear dog, running right up to _and_ jumping onto one of the massive cougar bears to get it away from the very animal she loved so much. This, he somewhat expected, to be honest; the protectiveness, at least. Korra was always a fighter, and when it came to Naga…

But lunging onto a giant cougar bear?

What really got him was the way she commanded everyone. He hadn't seen her like that since he took her ice dodging as a child. How she was able to negotiate with beasts that, five minutes prior, wanted to rip their faces off and eat every last piece of them, befuddled him.

 _"It's the cubs, dad. They're just little babies."_

 _Of course. She always had a weak spot for younger creatures._

He thought of the day they rescued her from the snow storm when she ran away, the little polar bear dog pup yipping through the wind, the small animal that he later learned Korra had _saved_.

Tonraq glanced over his shoulder at his daughter and smiled, heart swelling with pride.

"I'm assuming since you have those bags, you've already been to Shili?" Okema grabbed his attention, slowing her pace to match his.

Tonraq nodded. "We travelled there earlier and exchanged some chores for some goods."

She bobbed her head and returned her fan to its holder. "I'd imagine you'd want to be getting on your way, then. We can get you back to the main road away from the cougar bear range, if you'd like. Then we can point you in the direction of the shore."

"You know we came by boat?"

"Your daughter told us." She twisted her head to peek at Korra. "I'm very impressed with how she handled that situation. I've never seen anyone reason with the cougar bears before."

"I'm just as surprised. But that's Korra for you. If she can physically find a means to do something, then she'll keep trying until it's done. She's stubborn in that way, but effective."

"What is her relationship to Katara?"

He raised an eyebrow to her question. "They're good friends. Korra grew up with her in the Southern Water Tribe and they spent quite a bit of time together before she left for Republic City." He paused a moment, wondering if he had said too much. "Why do you ask, exactly?"

"Just… _curious_. She mentioned her before we met up with the cougar bears…" She eyed Korra once more before redirecting her attention to the Kyoshi Warriors. "Ladies," they all stopped and turned to face her. "We are going to escort these fine guests to the second right bend of the main road. It'll be much safer for them to travel back to the shore from there."

The Warriors nodded and altered their path to curve through the forested mountains.

Okema watched them lead until Korra brought up the rear. "Korra," she approached the Southerner, prompting her and her polar bear dog to stop. "I want to speak with you. Let's take a walk." She joined Korra's side and folded her hands behind her back. "And keep a bit of distance, alright?"

"Um, sure?" Korra shrugged and walked beside the mighty Kyoshi Warrior.

They followed the group at a slow pace until the trio was out of their earshot.

"You were right, you know." Okema spoke in a hushed voice.

"About the cougar bear cubs?"

" _No_. About my relation to Sokka."

"I knew it!"

" _Quiet_. _No one_ can know about this."

Korra raised an eyebrow. "Why? Chief Sokka is awesome. I would be proud to be related to him."

"It's not that I'm not proud. It's just that it's… _complicated_. I'm surprised you figured it out so quickly, though. There are people on the Island that I've known for _years_ that don't even have a clue. And I intend on keeping it that way. There's a reason Katara didn't tell anyone about us, including you."

"What happened?"

"It started after the end of the Hundred Year War. As good and moral as it is to be working with the Avatar to bring balance and peace around the world – like Sokka, Katara, and the rest did – that doesn't exclude you from making enemies. Quite a few people didn't like what Aang, Zuko, and Sokka were doing with the development and running of the United Republic of Nations, as well as their handling of various citizens from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. It didn't take long for them to become targets – Sokka included. Once he was in their aim, Suki also crossed into it, due to their relationship at the time and her involvement in other political and military affairs. They knew they could get to Sokka by hurting her."

" _Who_ knew?"

"Maguma, a Fire Bender who was a supporter of Fire Lord Ozai during the war. He still believed in his ideals, and that the Fire Nation should colonize and control all of the other Nations."

She stared at the ground in front of her worn animal skin boots as she walked, taking in what Okema was telling her.

"He started a group called the Mokin-Rui that resisted Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang's changes ever since Zuko's coronation." Sadness crossed her painted face. "At first, it was just through minor protests. But many of them were stationed either in the Colonies or out at sea during the war. They wanted to come home to their families and _not_ the Earth Kingdom people, but with the Harmony Restoration Movement threatening to uproot them and the campaign to locate and capture the rest of Ozai's violent followers, things got a lot more difficult."

"But didn't the movement lead to a more accepted integration of both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom into the United Republic of Nations, as opposed to just kicking the Fire Nation out?"

Okema smiled. "You know your history, Korra. While you're right about that, what many people _didn't_ realize was that some of the people from the Earth Kingdom were rebelling against the Fire Nation people who had been living with them for a hundred years. Most of them got along as the decades passed, but there were still a few groups that opposed the other Nation completely. Imprisonment was common on both sides. Things got violent. People died. Some of the members of the Mokin-Rui were furious, especially when their family and friends were killed or captured. They started making assassination attempts on anyone involved with the final peace treaty: Zuko, Aang, Sokka, Katara – you name it."

"But Zuko tried to keep the citizens there in the colonies."

"Oh, they didn't try to kill Zuko for that, _trust_ me. They wanted him gone purely because he was the new Fire Lord and Ozai was not."

Korra frowned and scrunched her brow. "My history books didn't cover _this_ kind of stuff."

"That's because a lot of it wasn't quite as obvious as I'm making it seem. Texts have a tendency to paint pictures from one perspective instead of looking at the scene as a whole. One book may describe Ozai in a way that justifies all of his actions, while a separate scroll could make him seem like a horrible person. If one exists without the other, people will only have one side available to believe instead of looking at _all_ of the angles to the story. Their views will be incomplete, as will the actions that result from such."

She pondered Okema's mindset, seeing the truth in her words. It resembled what Master Zuko had told her about drawing knowledge from each of the Nations. She shook her head, shutting down the thought of even bringing that up to the Kyoshi Warrior. "So, where does Suki come into this?"

"She ties in with the fact that Sokka was targeted by the Mokin-Rui, but it wasn't a serious threat until she and the Kyoshi Warriors became Fire Lord Zuko's body guards after several failed assassination attempts. They shut down quite a few of their future attacks and captured some of their more talented members as well."

"I'm assuming Maguma didn't like that, did he?"

Her face was grave. "No, he did not." Okema took a moment to steady herself. "The Mokin-Rui was a passionate group, but they weren't all that powerful. Their numbers diminished quickly as the Avatar, Katara, Sokka, and Fire Lord Zuko learned more about who they were and made arrests. Katara and Sokka were actually key players in this, due to their investigative work. They led the capture of over half Maguma's men, with the assistance of the students in Toph Beifong's Metal Bending Academy. This put an even bigger mark on Sokka's back, and Katara's too, _especially_ considering that they captured Maguma's brother during one of their raids. The remaining members of the Mokin-Rui disbanded for years, meeting in secret to devise their strategy, strengthen their numbers, and plot their revenge. Ozai supporters, Zuko opposers, and Water Tribe haters all gathered together in the shadows, making the world think that Team Avatar won."

"What did they do to exact revenge?"

"The first thing they did was attack Kyoshi Island."

Korra frowned and observed her surroundings. The air suddenly had an unknown vibe to her, a feeling that made her stomach turn, as if she could _feel_ the bloodshed around her.

"They wanted to start with the easier targets to them – the Non-Benders. They knew the Island was small and vulnerable and that it would draw Sokka and Suki out. Maybe even Katara, if they got lucky. They started off slow, working through contractors and mercenaries to keep their identity quiet and to make it look like it was just small scale pirate raids. They even assumed a new name; the Shinote. Each attack chipped away more and more of the Kyoshi Warriors. Once the advances became more rampant and deadly, Suki refused to remain in Republic City, telling Sokka that she had to go protect her people from extinction."

"When did all of this happen?"

"Around 116 AG, when Sokka and Suki were in their early thirties. In the meantime, Sokka worked on appealing to the political group that was the early stages of the United Republic Council in Republic City, trying to get assistance in warding off these attacks. The Council refused, claiming the need to deal with their _own_ issues within the growing Republic. Avatar Aang, though, agreed to help Sokka in the defense. By the time they made the arrangements, it was too late."

"He attacked."

Okema nodded. "It was an onslaught. Our little villages didn't stand a chance against their fire power. The ones that couldn't Fire Bend brought chemical explosives. I don't know where they got them from, but they were _powerful._ " She inhaled, noticing how shaky her voice was getting. "Suki was trying to defend and protect the innocent people in Shili. She had some of the Kyoshi Warriors evacuate the bystanders to the shores while her own group fought the Shinote. Most of them died in the process."

Korra stared at Okema, trying to meet her eye. When she couldn't, she dropped her sight to the ground again. She put a hand against Naga's cheek and caressed her, looking for something to help her stabilize the emotions swirling in her heart. "What happened to the ones that didn't die?"

"Some of them were captured. Jinli and Zunyu, her daughter, managed to escape with the villagers, along with a few other Kyoshi Warriors and Ty Lee, one of the outside recruits to the Island. Suki fought the best she could, but her injuries were too great. She tried to find shelter in a building nearby but didn't know it was laced with bombs that the Shinote planted during the fight."

She stopped in her tracks and turned away from Korra, her arms folded over her chest.

Korra halted and stared at Okema.

"I've heard that the people who escaped could see the explosion from the shore. I'm not sure how true that is, but luckily, it wasn't enough to kill her. Sokka and Aang arrived shortly after to find most of the villages on fire. Maguma's scouts had picked up on the sky bison and fled before the Avatar could even reach them."

"They found Suki, though."

She bobbed her head. "She was in the rubble of the burning building she hid in. She lost a lot of blood from her wounds. Sokka had Aang take her to the Southern Water Tribe on Appa to see Katara, since she was there raising their two children. He stayed behind to help the relief efforts and to evacuate any more citizens from the Island."

"Was Master Katara able to heal her?"

"Partially." Okema faced Korra but looked away. "The flesh wounds were easy enough, but the explosion shattered her legs and spine. She was paralyzed from the waist down."

"She couldn't be a Kyoshi Warrior anymore…"

"Once you're a Kyoshi Warrior, you're _always_ a Kyoshi Warrior." Her tone was a bit stern and dark upon her statement. She bit back her aggression and pushed the memories away. "But you're right, in a sense; she couldn't fight anymore. At least, not the way we usually do. And the mountain terrain was too much for her to handle in a chair. So Sokka had her stay in the Southern Water Tribe with him so that she could be safe from another attack. Katara worked on healing her, even though Suki couldn't walk. It was during one of her sessions when she found out that Suki was pregnant."

"Suki was pregnant?"

Okema nodded and proceeded to walk towards the group ahead.

Korra and Naga followed her.

"She was about two or three months pregnant when the attack happened. Katara was shocked that the baby lived through the trauma. Sokka was just excited. But with everything that was going on with them and the Shinote, they decided it was best to keep the baby a secret, until it was safer for them to reveal it."

"That's understandable. Master Aang didn't know about the baby, though, did he?"

"I don't believe he did, to be honest. He was so absorbed in pursuing the Shinote and dealing with the erection of Republic City that I don't think he had the chance to stop by the Southern Water Tribe before the baby was born."

"What happened after? Did they move back to Kyoshi Island?"

"Not exactly. There were a lot of complications with the birth. Suki… she didn't make it."

A sad expression crossed Korra's face. She lowered her head and stared at the ground by her feet.

"My mother, Katori, was born in the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka and Katara wanted to ensure her safety, so they kept her a secret from the world and boarded her with one of their friends, Karisa, who was a wet nurse. Sokka would visit her whenever he could, but his duties as the Chairman for the United Republic Council and the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe didn't give him much time to spare in his youth. He was a good father, though. Very caring and loving and funny, from what my mother told me. I got to meet him and see him on occasion, but I was never really that close to him. My youngest sister, Akaishi, was _fascinated_ with him; the two were almost mirror images of each other. They became great friends and spent time together every chance they could when he visited the Island."

"So your mom moved to Kyoshi Island? Did she become part of the Kyoshi Warriors?"

"She did. When she was eighteen, Sokka told her the truth about her real mother. He took her to visit Kyoshi Island. She fell in love with the place and wanted to stay, so he let her. She started training under Jinli, who had taken over the Kyoshi Warriors in Suki's absence as her second in command. They kept her lineage a secret, though. After about a year's worth of intense training, Jinli felt that Katori was ready to serve and lead the Kyoshi Warriors – with her advising, of course. Her daughter was… not too happy about that."

"What happened?"

"Things got tense. They still are, to be honest. I 'inherited' _and earned_ the command of the Kyoshi Warriors after my mother passed a few years ago. But ever since my mother started training and working with Jinli, there has been tension between her and Zunyu. Zunyu and many of the other Kyoshi Warriors split off into their own regime, keeping it secret from Jinli and the rest of the Warriors."

"If it's a secret, how do you know about it?"

" _Because my sister was a part of it_ ," she grumbled. "Akaishi." She grew silent upon saying her name. Okema took a breath and continued. "When I found out, my mother and I had the group disbanded on the platform that we _all_ are Kyoshi Warriors and that we must work together to protect our people, not separately."

"Did it work?"

"Somewhat. We are still unified when the Island is in danger, but Zunyu and her village insist on training the Kyoshi Warriors one way while I train them in the more _traditional_ fighting styles that the _original_ Kyoshi Warriors learned and passed down to their successors, such as my grandmother."

"I had no idea that the Kyoshi Warriors based their leaders on lineage."

"We usually don't, but Jinli felt that it was only right and fair that Katori take the place of the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. She was only holding the spot for Suki, but when she found out what happened… plus, she was tired. She fought a lot of battles after what happened to my grandmother, and she was just ready to pass it onto the next in line. And my mother was a good Warrior, better even than Zunyu. Jinli felt she earned it, and my mother felt I earned it as well. She designated me as the next leader years before she passed. When she did, I stepped up. That, of course, _also_ caused a bit of tension."

"I can see why this is so complicated. But why keep your lineage to Sokka a secret? He's passed and so has your mother. What have you to lose now?"

"My life." Okema halted again and locked onto Korra's oceans. "There are still people out there who were part of the Shinote. Avatar Aang wasn't able to find them all and bring them to justice. I want to be as safe and low key about this as possible; I don't want to witness an attack like the one that nearly killed my grandmother."

"Do you really think they would hold a grudge for that long?"

"The man who stabbed you – was he attacking you because of who you are or because you were trying to stop him?"

She paused for a moment to think. "Both?" She sighed. "More of the first one, I guess."

"Does he really know you at all? Or did he just see your clothes and skin and automatically dislike you? You don't think there is any sort of grudge or bitterness that might have caused him to target you and your parents, specifically?"

Korra crossed her arms and looked away. "He doesn't like Water Benders. I know that much."

Okema intercepted her line of sight and met her eyes. "And where do you think _that_ came from?" The question was rhetorical as she walked away, straightening her posture as she did so.

Korra stood, frozen in her spot, contemplating her words.

 _You don't think he was…_

 _Maybe. Maybe not. I – I don't know. I'm too tired to think about this right now._

She snapped out of it when Naga rubbed against her. She scratched the animal's ear with an absent mind and followed the leader of the Kyoshi back to the rest of the group.

(-)

*Sits in the corner with a steaming cup of tea and looks out the window on a crisp, autumn day. There's a blanket around my shoulders. I stare through the glass as the dead leaves flow by in the chilling wind, the imagery capturing how my heart feels, and ask myself "what have I done?"*

Aka I'm sad.


	18. Bargaining Chip

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay; life has been busy and stressful and I drank a whole bottle of wine last night because of it... Anyway, here's an update! I'm hoping to post more chapters now that I have a brief few days off from obligations and classes. And I need to work on my Korrasami month fic. And The Arts. *sobs in the distance*

(-)

Chapter 18

 **Bargaining chip**

Okema returned to Tonraq's side, following behind her fellow Kyoshi Warriors.

"We were wondering where you disappeared to."

"We aren't too far from the main road." She ignored his statement with one of her own. "Do you want an escort to the shore, or will you manage by yourself?"

He paused for a moment to consider her. "We should be able to follow the trail if you point us in the right direction." He looked around, eyes scanning for a pair of blues. "Where's Korra?"

"She's bringing up the rear. Her and Naga wanted to keep an eye out in case any cougar bears come back."

He nodded and focused on the path ahead of him, not entirely sure if he believed her.

They walked in silence, maneuvering through the frosted trees with quiet steps. After about twenty more minutes, they came across the second right bend that Okema was looking for.

The Kyoshi Warriors stopped as she did. She waited for Korra to emerge from the brush they had just cleared before addressing the group.

"We're here. If you travel south on this road," she pointed with her right hand, "you should be able to get to the shore. At this pace, you'll get there in a little under an hour or so."

"Don't worry: we don't plan on going at that pace."

They all turned to Korra as she crawled on top of her polar bear dog. She adjusted herself behind the reigns and took them in her hands.

"Naga and I were talking, and she agreed to carry us back to the boat so that we can get going sooner." She smiled and scratched the back of the animal's head.

Naga barked and waved her tail. Her tongue hung out the side of her mouth.

"She really wants to go home."

Asami smiled and crossed her arms. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Korra brought her companion closer and had her kneel. Asami climbed onto the saddle and put her hands on Korra's waist to anchor herself. Korra fought to hide her blush; lucky for her, she actually _fulfilled_ the task.

Tonraq and Senna exchanged a perplexed look before following suit, the former hopping up first to help the latter. They settled, Tonraq gripping the sides of the pillion while Senna held his shoulders.

Korra circled Naga around until she was facing Okema and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. "Thank-you."

She nodded and bowed. When she straightened, she gave Korra a look that conveyed a mixture of trust, vulnerability, pleading, and threatening; her dark blue eyes said all that Korra needed to know.

Korra lowered her torso in response and bobbed her head at Okema, confirming that she read the message loud and clear.

 _You can trust me._

"Farewell, friend."

Her smile hid the exhaustion in her ocean eyes. With a shift in her hands, she steered Naga south. She waved to the Kyoshi Warriors, who gestured back, until they were out of sight. Korra leaned forward and whispered to Naga. "A little faster, but nice and easy."

Naga woofed and sped up into a gentle trot, her tail wagging as she did so.

Asami tightened her hold upon the change in speed and inched forward. Korra didn't mind in the slightest; she enjoyed the growing warmth between them, perhaps a little _too_ much.

Her tan cheeks blushed and she shriveled forward to hide it, incapable of keeping it inside this time. She almost wanted to send Naga into a full sprint to reduce the time that her body was in contact with Asami's and to hide both the thoughts and embarrassment that were sure to be a result of moving slow, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. So she kept a good grip on the reigns – a bit too tight of a grip – and enjoyed her presence in a warm, silent guilt.

(-)

"Yoki, can I speak with you in private?"

The Kyoshi Warrior stuttered for a moment before replying with a nod.

They walked off from the group, most of which were returning to their homes in Shili.

Their journey had been short, for Okema wanted to get to shelter as soon as possible; it was getting dark, and she doubted that they would be able to handle the four cougar bears alone, should they run into them again. Not only that, but she wasn't all that sure that the animals would listen to _them_ the way they listened to Korra. So they made haste through the forest, dipping and skipping through their normal path in a near-sprint. The sun was setting by the time they reached Shili. Words of the Southern Water Tribe Chief and his family escaped in fragmented sentences from the passersby around them.

Okema and Yoki approached the large statue of Kyoshi towards the center edge of their village. They sat at the base of the mighty pole upon which the Avatar stood, frozen in time and place. Exhaustion was in their postures and they remained quiet until the citizens were in their homes for the evening.

"You want to talk about Akaishi, don't you?"

She nodded. She cracked her knuckles before adjusting her position. "When was the last time you heard from her, Yoki?"

"It was about a few months ago. I've written her twice since then, but I haven't gotten a response. Maybe she's just busy."

"It certainly _seems_ like she's busy."

Yoki crossed her arms and stared at Okema. Their eyes didn't meet. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You heard Korra. That Striker group was using _chi blocking_."

"Oh, and you just _assume_ that she taught that to them? _Anyone_ can learn about it if they find the right book. She's not a bad person, Okema. She wouldn't do that." She tucked her knees up to her chest and rested her elbows on her legs. Her arms remained in their angry, folded position. "You just never took the time to get to know her."

"I did what I could, Yoki. We were ten years apart, and by the time I was a teen –"

" _You were already training for the Kyoshi Warriors_. I _know_. That's why you were mom's favorite."

"I wasn't her favorite."

Yoki snorted. "Are you that blind? You were _definitely_ mom's favorite, and if she were still around, she would say so, too."

Okema looked away, her heart heavy at the thought of her mother's death. "I still miss her."

"I know you do." She paused. "I miss dad." Yoki shifted so that her legs were outstretched against the ground and her hands were behind her, holding up her torso. "We never should have let him hike alone."

"Yeah." Okema tucked her knees this time, sadness on her face. "He never really cared for Akaishi, did he?"

" _Neither_ of them did. Especially after they found out about Zunyu –"

"I _had_ to tell mom; she was our leader. There can't be division amongst ourselves."

"Well, I don't think you _helped_ by doing that, Okema." Yoki rose, adding to the sting of her statement.

Okema pushed herself to her feet. "What _should_ I have done? Kept it a secret and risk them breaking off? Risk a war between us?"

"You're always so worried about war and death and destruction that you don't realize the damage you cause trying to prevent it." There was anger in Yoki's eyes that pierced right through her sister. "Maybe if you had been a little more considerate, Akaishi wouldn't have run away to Republic City."

"I had nothing to do with that, Yoki. Akaishi was always a bit –"

"A bit _what_? Disturbed? Troubled? Or just different from you?"

"Ever since Sokka died –"

" _Gramp Gramp._ "

"That's not his name."

"Well, that's what _we_ called him." Yoki's glare intensified. "Akaishi _loved_ Gramp Gramp. _Loved_ him. She was devastated when he was killed by those Bending terrorists, and you didn't do much to help. You were so caught up in your own affairs and being the 'best Kyoshi Warrior' that you were blinded to your own sisters." Her eyes glistened with the onset of frustrated, hurtful tears.

Okema picked up on this. A deep sorrow swelled into her heart. "I didn't just let Akaishi down, did I?"

"No, you _didn't_. And even now, you act like…" She turned away from her older sister. "Like you own the damn place. Like you're the Spirits' greatest gift to the earth, the all supreme Kyoshi Warrior leader. But you're not." Yoki faced her again, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "You don't even _know_ Akaishi and you're already trying to convict her."

"Yoki –" She took a step towards her sibling.

Yoki backed away.

"We should see what's going on in Republic City."

"That's none of our business."

"People are _dying_."

"People are dying _here_. We are _Kyoshi_ Warriors, not _United Republic of Nations_ Warriors. Like you would _always_ say, our duties are to our people on the Island and _nowhere else_ , or did you _forget_ that night when Akaishi told you and mom that she was going to Republic City and you _shamed_ her?"

Okema folded her arms and looked away, the severity of her actions and past behavior becoming clear to her. "I'm not perfect, Yoki. I – I guess I messed a lot of things up. Mom always put so much pressure on me to 'follow the Kyoshi way' and to 'be the best Warrior of them all' that I guess I lost sight of what's important." She turned to Yoki and gripped her hurt sister's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Yoki."

"I'm not the only one you need to apologize to. Let me write to Akaishi again. She's not the person you think she is. Just – just give her a chance, for once."

Okema nodded, solemnity in her expression. "Send it out tonight."

(-)

"We made it!" Korra led Naga to the shoreline until they were at the docks. She hopped off and remained beside her polar bear dog until the rest of her passengers followed.

"Let's get moving. It's going to get dark soon, so we'll be better off on the water than where the cougar bears can come back." Tonraq walked past her, a bag flung over his shoulder. Senna was beside him, yawning.

Korra stood on the tips of her toes and pulled the other carrier off Naga's saddle. She untied the laces and retrieved her portion of the dried meat. "Here ya go, girl. You've earned it."

Naga licked her cheek before devouring the food.

"Was that your bargaining chip?"

Korra spun around to find Asami smiling with her hands on her hips. She grinned and scratched the back of her head. "How'd you know?"

She took a step towards Korra. "Because I _know_ you, Korra." Asami continued approaching until she was side-by-side with her. "Come on; let's get on the ship before it sails away."

"Let's go, Naga!"

The polar bear dog hopped up, licking her chops. She walked beside the pair, panting with a wagging tail.

Korra couldn't help but laugh. She caressed the white fur by her ear and smirked.

Asami watched on with a similar smile.

 _Maybe things are_ _actually_ _going to be okay._

"Alright: Korra, Asami," Tonraq addressed them once they reached the deck of the boat, "your mother wants to check on your wounds, Korra, to see how your body is holding up. Asami, I need you in the helm so I can show you our route. Afterwards, you can show Korra, when she's done with her mother. I'm not sure how long it's going to take," he turned to his daughter and met her eyes, "but your mother and I are exhausted. I've been up all day and she nearly has been, too. We need rest."

Korra nodded. "I understand, dad. Get as much rest as you need."

He put a hand on his child's shoulder and smiled. "Let me know if you need anything, even if I'm sleeping. Alright?"

"I will."

"Asami?"

She locked her peridots onto his blues.

"Come with me." Tonraq lifted his hand up to chest height and waved a rolled up paper at her.

Asami glanced at Korra once he turned his back on her before proceeding with him to the helm.

"Naga, behave."

The polar bear dog barked and circled her spot before plopping down with a huff.

"Good girl." Korra smiled and took achy steps over to the staircase leading into the interior of the ship. With a sigh, she descended to find her mother.

(-)

"So, you've got the engine up and running?" Tonraq asked as he stretched the map out across the table.

Asami nodded and bent over the top, getting a closer look at the depiction on the paper. "There was quite a bit of damage. This ship must have been next in line for the maintenance crew, but I made do with what I had. It definitely won't go as _fast_ as before, but it should last." She walked around to Tonraq's side. "So I'm assuming this is the Southern Water Tribe," she pointed to the center of the icy landmass on the bottom of the map, "right?"

"Not quite." He placed his index near the northwestern shore of the continent. " _This_ is where the Southern Water Tribe is. You're pointed more towards the South Pole."

 _I didn't know there was a difference._

"So where are we now?"

"Right here," he slid his fingertip across the paper, northeast of the Southern Water Tribe. "Now, we _could_ go through the Patola Mountain Range just south of the Southern Air Temple," he traced the route as he spoke, "but it would be better to go south of the mountain range altogether. You'll have more room to navigate in the open waters. It's a bit dangerous to go through the mountains when you're inexperienced."

Asami didn't _mean_ to take offense to the comment; she knew she had very little navigation practice when it came to boating. That certainly didn't mean that she didn't know what she was doing, though. Whether it was her exhaustion or her constant need to prove that she could 'handle herself' to those who questioned her, she wasn't sure, but she felt ridiculed regardless. She bit down her nasty remark and replied with a simple nod.

"Good. Once you get around this bend, it should be smooth sailing from there." He straightened and stretched out. "I'll help you get the ship going, if you'd like. Then I'm going to head to bed." Tonraq walked to the wheel and toyed with several knobs. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. I can handle myself."

"I _know_ you can." He flicked another control and the engine roared to life – a _loud_ life. With the crank of a lever, the anchor rose out of the water, running on a mechanized pulley system. Once he heard the clang of the weight against the side of the boat, he brought the ship out of the shores of Kyoshi Island and back into the South Sea. "Judging by this speed, we should get there within a day." He twisted around to her, hands still on the wheel, when he heard Asami approach.

"It's alright, Tonraq. I've got this under control. Go rest and check on Korra. If anything happens, I'll come get you."

"They should be fine. Senna is just checking to see how her sta – her wound is doing after she healed it yesterday and if she's got any more nicks from today."

"Then _go rest_. You've been up all day Bending us to Kyoshi Island. I can take over from here on out."

He released the controls and nodded, gracious to sleep once again.

They held each other's gazes for a moment before Tornaq departed in silence.

Asami's peridots were glued to him until he was out of sight. With a sigh of her own, she faced the never-ending blue stretched out before her.

(-)

"Hey, Asami. Are you hungry?" Korra stood in the doorway, a few fruit in her hands. "I managed to sneak these from the bags before my parents locked themselves in their room and fell asleep." She creaked across the floorboards until she was at Asami's side.

Asami's eyes picked up on the outstretched hand of medium-sized red berries first. She traced up the arm until she met the irresistible crooked grin on Korra's face. When their pupils locked, there was a small smile on her ruby lips. "Thanks, Korra. I'm pretty hungry, to be honest." She tried to retrieve the fruit from her tan palm but a strong gust forced her to stay at the wheel.

"Here, let's trade." Korra stepped nearer and slid her arm in front of Asami to grip the controls.

Their bodies were close.

She could feel the heat radiating from Korra's skin. Asami blushed and backed up, attempting to hide her flustering.

Unlucky for her, Korra caught every inch of that reddening, which forced her _own_ cheeks to light up. "Here," she offered the food again without looking at Asami, "eat up."

Asami took the berries out of Korra's palm and ate them one at a time, savoring their sweetness. "Thanks again, Korra. These will help with the long night that I've got ahead of me."

Concern filled her expression. She glanced at the woman beside her. "What do you mean?"

"I've got to helm the ship all night while your parents catch up on their rest." She pushed herself off of the empty console that she was leaning against and joined Korra's side. "I don't mind, though. I doubt I'll get much sleep anyways, even if I _am_ tired."

"I feel the same way." She averted her ocean irises and loosened her hold on the wheel. "You should probably take this." She stepped aside to give Asami some space.

She took the controls with a confused eyebrow raised. "I thought you knew how to helm."

"I do, but nothing this advanced. I can guide a sailboat like a pro. That's what we use in my village. _This_ , though," she waved her hand out over all of the flashing lights and gears, "I've never seen something this complex before."

"How about I teach you?" Asami grinned and readjusted so that she was only holding half of the wheel.

Korra moved closer to her and grabbed onto the other side. "Are you sure?"

"Neither of us will be sleeping anytime soon, so why not? Once you learn, we can take turns steering and navigating. It'll be fun."

Given all of the difficulty she faced earlier with her nightmares and her memories, Korra wanted nothing more than a distraction. Not only did this fulfill that requirement, but it _also_ involved Asami. While this made her more nervous than she would have liked, it also excited her. And she could feel the exhilaration radiating from Asami as well. A crooked smile crossed her face. "Let's do it!"

(-)


	19. Alive and unharmed

Chapter 19

 **Alive and unharmed**

The room was dark. It was an eerie, sort of _controlled_ blackness. There was a long, light grey table in the center. A single overhead light, hanging low from the ceiling, was shining above it. The lamp illuminated one circular spot of the stone top, the edges of its ray's expanse swallowed by shadows. Despite the cold outside as Republic City transitioned into winter, the dungeonesque area was warm.

They sat in silence, each of their minds focused on the task at hand. One held absolute control while the other had weak spots filled with trepidation.

"I trust you know why I'm here. You've done well with orchestrating and executing the prison break. Now, I have a new task for you. A much more _important_ task." A man's voice echoed against the empty stone walls. The scraping sounds of a small piece of paper being removed from a sleeve of some sort were a faint follow up. "I need you to find someone for me." He slid a yellow, red, and black cuffed hand across the table, a photograph under his fingers. "I assume you have seen her before."

A black gloved palm reached into the light and retrieved the picture. The paper disappeared into the blackness and lifted from the surface. "You want me to locate Asami Sato?" A woman replied, a bit of confusion in her tone.

"Yes." Though she couldn't see it, the man folded his arms over his chest. "I need you to find her."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"I've come to believe that she's in danger in her current situation. I will be offering a reward to whoever can bring her back to the City, alive and unharmed."

"So, you've told others." It wasn't a question. The woman tossed the photo onto the table and leaned back into her chair, still hidden from sight.

"No, I haven't. Not _yet,_ at least. I do intend on making this offer public."

"Why tell us in private, then?"

"Because I trust you. Your training is superb and you've risen through the ranks with ease. You're the best operative here; that's why I've made you the highest in the chain of command – other than myself. I know you'll get the job done the way it _needs_ to be done, the way I _want_ it done."

Her face scrunched in determination; nothing could stop her if she had a damn thing to say about it. She examined the picture again and traced the edges with her fingers. "Do you have any leads?"

" _You_ tell _me_."

"Of course, sir." She adjusted herself in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. "The reports first spotted her at the shoreline of the western docks about two days ago, travelling with two Water Benders and a polar bear dog."

He sat back in his chair and adjusted his hidden collar. "Continue," he replied, well aware of _whom_ Asami was roaming with; it was one of his main reasons for concern.

"She was seen next at the police station. She and the Water Benders joined Lin Beifong and saved Zhang, a Metal Bending police officer on the Cabbage Corp. Bridge and one of the targets in a recent attack. They were unsuccessful in saving Lee, though."

"Yes, I heard about that incident. An unusual failure on Warship's part to neutralize the Benders."

"I don't believe he was expecting the Water Benders."

"Is that why he attacked them?"

She raised an unseen eyebrow. "So, you know about that." Her statement was laced with a subtle disbelief; usually, information goes to him _through_ her, not _around_ her.

"Is it _that_ shocking to you? It's no surprise to me, really. The man _hates_ Water Benders more than anything. He takes pleasure in killing them and anyone from the Tribes. Makes a hobby out of it. It's not hard to put two and two together, considering you were short men for the prison raid and half the guard was missing at the docks." He squirmed in his chair, attempting to control his anger. "While I don't necessarily _approve_ of his actions, he did open up an opportunity to strike. But tell me, did he lay a _hand_ on Asami? A single _finger_?"

"From what I heard, no. Technically. But his entire mission –"

"Mission? That was no mission. It was a misuse of his power and influence on others _and_ a direct disregard to your previous orders." He shifted in his seat, arms folded across the rests. "Now, explain to me the ' _technically'_ portion of this matter."

She wasted no time in ousting Warship. "He struck her with his baton, the one _you_ gave him."

He growled under his breath and clenched his fists.

"I told him that the group was off limits because Asami was with them –"

"Clearly, he didn't give a single damn about what you had to say."

She frowned in anger, though it went unseen.

"I'm assuming he was not successful in killing the Water Benders?"

"No, he wasn't. I plan on removing him from the organization for disobedience and endangering several lives of our comrades."

He held up an invisible hand. "That's not your decision to make. I've already had you execute several of our own for their defiance concerning the police, but only by _my_ command. No. Don't kill him just yet. You'll need him." He rested his arms on the table but remained out of sight. "As much as you two might dislike each other, he's a seasoned fighter with a real passion for killing Water Benders. Passion leads to knowledge. Knowledge leads to expertise. If anyone is going to know how to beat them, it's _him_."

"What is your proposal?"

"A boat of mine has gone missing, undoubtedly not unrelated. The reports that _I_ have heard tell me that it's heading south. Now," he leaned back and rested his ankle on the opposing knee, "where do you think it could be heading, if it's full of two Water Benders and a tamed polar bear dog?"

"The Southern Water Tribe."

"Exactly. I'd be in a state of shock if the Water Benders were capable of stealing the ship on their own. It would take a good electrician to rig the controls."

"Or a good _engineer_."

"Exactly. Now, I don't know _why_ Asami is working with them – though I do have my theories – but I want her found and returned, alive and unharmed."

"After Warship's mishap, do you really think she's just going to go willingly with us?"

He crossed his arms, one of his hands holding his chin in the shadows. "Then give her a _reason_ to surrender. Threaten the safety of the Tribe and the girl."

"The Chief's child?"

"Yes. She's your bargaining chip. Asami cares for her, so hurt her; make it so that the only way she can save her little friend is by leaving, _forever_."

"What of the Water Benders?"

He flicked his hand upwards. "I couldn't care less what you do with them. Kill the unimportant ones, capture any we can use to advance our position, or kill them all. All I want is Asami. And ensure that Warship stays _away_ from her. If I hear that he lays a single hand on her, I will slit his throat myself."

"Do you not feel that some sort of punishment is in order? For his betrayal?"

"Of course there is. _No one_ touches Asami in a violent way and lives to tell about it. This _mission_ is his reprimand. It's his trial. Should he return with Asami unharmed, he will be allowed forgiveness and to keep his life. He'll be a vital instrument for you to use in planning and executing this mission; I have no doubt that he's studied up on the Water Tribes, _especially_ the Southern Water Tribe. But the only circumstance in which he is to return alive is if you have delivered Asami to me. Otherwise, he can perish with the rest of the Water Benders." He placed his hidden hands on the arm rests of his chair. "I do _not_ tolerate insubordination."

"Yes, sir." She rose from her spot and stepped forward, the faint green glow of her eyes coming into view. "How many Strikers should I bring?"

"Not all of them, that's for sure; we don't want to eradicate our organization on a single assignment. Take as many as you see fit. Consult Warship on the matter. I would suggest that this remain as secret and stealthy an operation as possible. The Water Benders are in their natural environment. It will not be an easy fight. I will not supply you with a ship or any further assistance; it would be much too risky, should Asami recognize anything that looks familiar. Use the technology you already have. I believe Warship has a supply of chemical explosives that he made that you can bring with you, should you choose to use them. Spear appears to be knowledgeable on the matter as well. Your only instructions from me are to return Asami safe to me – _without_ her knowing about my involvement with you – to claim your reward. No other ties should be revealed to anyone, _especially_ Asami. Kill anyone who threatens to do so."

She nodded, though there was turmoil within her.

An awkward silence fell between them.

He was the first to speak. "I haven't heard from her in three days, Ruby." He leaned forward until a small amount of light illuminated his face. His dark grey mustache, which extended down the front of his cheeks to the underside of his chin, and his gold rimmed glasses were the only color on his somewhat-pale skin. "It's not like her to just disappear without contact." His deep red eyes burned with a mixture of worry and ire. "I don't like whatever sort of relationship she has with these Water Benders. I want it to end. _Find her_ and bring her _back_ to me – _alive and unharmed_."

She took a step and paused, contemplating her question. "Sir, wouldn't it be easier to just write to her? Tell her that you're concerned for her safety and that you're worried about her? Or file a police report?"

"And what if the Benders don't allow her to see the letter? What if they read it and decide to hold her hostage as a means to gain wealth? They aren't exactly the richest Nation, that's for sure. As for the police: they're busy enough dealing with those Triads and your eliminations. Besides, what good would a Republic City police force be for this situation if Asami and the rest _aren't_ in Republic City?"

She hesitated. "You could always just give the Southern Water Tribe the reward money in exchange for Asami. You don't _have_ to attack the Southern Water Tribe. You could spare them. Besides, what business do we even have in the Southern Water Tribe? Aren't we supposed to be helping people _here_ , in Republic City?"

He paused for a moment to consider her. "Giving the Southern Water Tribe the reward money? No, that wouldn't work. She would hate me for that, think that I'm trying to control her. Plus, doing so would reveal that I know of her location. She's to believe that I am under the impression that she's _missing_ , hence the purpose of the reward I am offering. And when it comes to Asami, _no_ place is too far or off limits. She is important to me, and I won't have her under the hands of these Benders if I can do anything about it. So no, I won't give them any ransom money or reward."

"But if she's being held against her will – unless you believe she's there by _choice_ and would refuse to leave because she's choosing the Water Benders over you…"

"It's not the Water Benders winning her over that I'm concerned about."

"Is it the girl?"

He closed his eyes and gave a single nod. "I've seen the way she looks at her. And ever since she's met this Water Tribe woman, she's been in danger. She tried to hide it from me, but I know something isn't right. I want Asami back where she belongs, where she's _safe_. By assuming that I don't know where she is and simply putting a reward up for her safe return after not hearing from her for three days and filing a police report for a missing person, it will feign my ignorance and lack of involvement. The means by which you choose to go about this are yours and yours alone, as in they belong to the _Strikers_ , _not_ myself. She'll believe that you took up the opportunity because of what she thinks you are: cold-blooded killers. And if you show her that you are, give her only the choice to surrender or watch her friends _perish_ , then it's a bit more believable, isn't it?"

Ruby blinked several times, putting the pieces together in her mind. "You certainly know how to deceive and cover your tracks, don't you?"

"I _am_ the leader of this organization, aren't I?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will tell you now that it wasn't by luck."

"And how will this convince Asami to join you and the Strikers after this? Isn't killing her friends a bit of a – _deterrent_?"

He leaned back into his chair, hiding his face once more. "She'll come around once she sees what we really do. But now is not the time to reveal such things. As of right now, her recruitment is not your concern. Your top priority is her safety. I want her brought back to me, alive and unharmed."

"I will do everything in my power to fulfill your wishes –"

"That's not acceptable. You _will_ return with her, or you'll not return at all. Understood?"

"Sir –"

" _Understood_?"

Ruby inhaled, anxiety riddling her; this was the first time she had ever felt doubt in her ability to succeed in one of her missions with the Strikers. "Understood, Mr. Sato."

He rose from his position and adjusted his collar. "I'll expect to hear of your departure within the next day. It will take several to get to the Southern Water Tribe. Plan wisely."

She nodded and bowed to her leader before exiting the dark, stone room, lost in nervous and hesitant thought.

Hiroshi crossed the table once the door was shut and retrieved the picture of his daughter. He examined it in the light before holding it up to his chest.

 _Asami._

(-)


	20. Homeland

Hey everyone! This one is a short one. Sorry about that.

(-)

Chapter 20

 **Homeland**

To say they were exhausted would be an understatement.

Asami spent the twilight hours trying to teach Korra how to helm the small freight ship. Korra picked up the basics after a few hours of practice in the open water. Neither of them were surprised at how long it took; Korra wasn't the best with new machinery when she was well rested and alert, let alone fatigued and exhausted.

Their movement was slow and the wind was fierce well into the night. By the time they broke through the channel created by several islands on the edge of the Patola Mountains, the gusts calmed and they were sailing on smooth seas, just as Tonraq said. As a matter of fact, any breezes they faced flowed from their stern, almost doubling the speed of their travelling. The pair switched on and off at the wheel; when one was steering, the other was either standing nearby, assisting in navigating, or face-first against the tabletop in exhaustion, cheeks touching the map and eyes staring at the up-close color of the document underneath, willing for sleep to come. The night was longer than they expected as they moved further west; they counted almost twelve hours between the purples of the evening and the blues of the rising sun.

Tonraq and Senna woke at the crack of dawn, much to Korra and Asami's relief; they were so tired that words were more and more difficult to come by. Even their expressions, through which they were usually able to communicate, were morphing into droopy lids, empty lines, and hunched shoulders.

This, of course, transformed into panic when a loud burst sounded from the engine room _just_ as they reached the doorway of their cabin. The adrenaline fueled them and kept them awake. Asami ran down to check on the equipment while Korra took over the helm, shutting off the power and steering the best she could. Her parents rushed to the deck once her daughter was in control and used Water Bending to propel and steady the ship through the cold, sea air; they knew too well that they couldn't sit around in the open water without moving. That, and in all honesty, they just wanted to get _home._ Much to Korra's surprise, they were able to keep a similar speed to what they were travelling before with the use of the machinery built into the ship.

Asami emerged about an hour and a half later, a new layer of grease and oil and dirt and sweat on her skin and clothes. There were a few snags in the shoulders of her wardrobe, as well as a singe or two on her gloves from the heat of the cooling equipment. The rings under her eyes were dark, her whites a tad bit bloodshot in the corners. She joined Korra at the wheel, who had a very similar look on her tan face, and started the engine. It roared to life, louder than before, and she almost collapsed in relief.

Tonraq replaced Korra at the helm while Senna retrieved one of the bags from Shili out of her cabin. Korra and Asami rustled through the carrier and ate a small amount of fruit and dried meat with absent minds; they were much too ready for bed, the only things standing in their way being their nagging stomachs.

Unfortunate for them, Mother Nature and the rest of the world didn't give a damn about how tired they were.

Severe winds threatened their boat again. Korra focused on keeping Naga from falling off the deck of the rocking boat while Tonraq and Senna used Water Bending to calm the waves around them. The rain soaked through their clothes, chilling them to the bone. Asami was at the helm, gritting her teeth against the gale and struggling to keep the ship on course.

When the small, but horrible, storm passed an hour later, the engine went with it.

Again, Korra was forced to steer and her parents were obligated to push the boat with Water Bending while Asami attempted to make repairs. She was running out of supplies. She was running out of patience. And both her _and_ the equipment were running out of stamina. Another two hours passed and the machinery was back to a rickety start. A third layer of grime covered her, her attempts to wipe her face clean with the back of her gloved hands only _adding_ to the film.

Tonraq assumed control of the helm, needing a break from all of the Bending. Korra and Asami returned to the deck to check on Naga, who was still rather fidgety after everything that had occurred with the storm. It was then that the faint sight of a white, icy shore caught Korra's eyes.

"Asami! Look!" She ran to the front of the deck with energy that only the Spirits could determine its origin and leaned over the railing. Wind blew through her loose brown hair as a grin expanded most of her face.

Asami joined her, a soft smile on her own.

"We're here, Asami." Korra met the peridots beside her before looking back out to the growing landmass. "I'm home."

"Do you live on the shore, Korra?"

She shook her head, resting both of her elbows against the barrier. "I don't live in Harbor City. I live much further inland, past the White Lotus Compound and the ice fields and more into the wilderness. It's where the hunters live, as well as Master Katara and my parents. Once we hit the City, it will take us about another hour to travel through the rivers to my village."

"There are rivers in the Southern Water Tribe?"

Korra nodded. "There are three of them. Right now, we're approaching Kamma Bay, although that's a bit redundant. We usually just call it Kamma when we're here, because that _means_ bay, but to outsiders, we have to specify." She chuckled for a moment, muttering "Bay Bay" to herself. "Anyway, we'll most likely take the Paniga River instead of the Igniga, since its closer to where we're entering Kamma."

"Where's the third river?"

"The third river is a combination of the two: Aakaga. We'll be passing the merging point on our way to the village. The glacier that I told you about is at the corner of where the rivers meet."

"It must be beautiful."

She glanced over at the tired heiress – who was looking at the approaching land in wonder – and smiled. "I'll show you. _After_ we get some rest," she added, noticing a slight shift in Asami's face.

Asami grinned in return and used the railing for support of her exhausted body.

Naga joined Korra's other side and barked, panting in excitement at the sight of her home.

Korra ran a dazed hand into the white fur beside her. "That's right, girl. We're home."

(-)

The anticipation of reaching a nice, cozy bed kept both of them awake through the hour and a half that it took to travel to and through the Southern Water Tribe. The pair remained at their spot at the bow, huddled closer than before to keep warm. Naga was against them as well, wrapping her body around the duo the best she could to shelter them. She continued to pat her tail against the deck in excitement.

Asami, as tired as she was, couldn't withhold her sense of wonder as they passed through Harbor City. While it wasn't as massive as Republic City, it _certainly_ wasn't far off – though the buildings were much, much shorter. A tall, multilayered pillar greeted them in the distance, its columns as strong, sturdy, and subtle as its floating bridge. The docks and ships were plentiful, some of which were hauling fish in from the sea. Several merchants lined the shore, looking for trade between both villagers and foreigners. The buildings that stretched out before her, a combination of stone and ice in construction, glistened against the setting sun until they were consumed by the white backdrop of the snowy mountains behind them.

Korra couldn't help but watch Asami as she took in her home for the first time. The degree of marvel that radiated from the pale beauty forced a small smile onto her face. She hoped, with all of her heart, that she would remember this moment for the rest of her life, however long that may be.

They stayed along the eastern edge of the coast as they travelled inland, avoiding most of the heavy traffic as people retreated to their homes for the night. Once they were past the City, the mountains became their center view. They were high and mighty and intimidating, forcing shadows at their bases as they moved through the icy water. The deep blues of the ice and stone underneath captivated Asami, who was much more accustomed to an array of greys and blacks in Republic City. She almost wanted to reach out and touch them, if she weren't so far away and so tired.

The river curved and thinned as they made their way past what had to have been one of the tallest mountains Asami had ever seen. The top was covered in ice and snow, the edge jutting out over the water. It was then that she realized that this was _the_ mountain – or glacier, as Korra referred to it – that Korra had loved so much. They reached the convergence of the rivers and Asami was convinced that she was in a whole new sea: the water almost stretched as far as her eyes could see. She gaped at the imagery around her, the rivers a dark blue while the sky resonated multiple shades of oranges, pinks, and purples from the setting sun.

She could see why Korra was homesick earlier in the year.

The boat continued further southeast until they travelled along just the Aakaga River. They didn't sail much further from there – perhaps about two miles or so – before Tonraq dropped the anchor. The trio left their spot against the rail and met Korra's parents at the docking ramp.

Naga bolted off of the ship before the incline even touched the ground. She leapt from the edge and landed on the snowy shore. In an instant, she was rolling around in the white fluff, pure joy on her face.

"I think Naga missed the snow." Korra took her first step back onto her homeland, her worn boots doing little to shelter her toes from the cold. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, cold, fresh air of the arctic breeze. When she separated her lids, she found herself crouching down and running her tired fingers through the settled flakes. "I think I do, too."

Just like her polar bear dog, she flung herself into the ground, throwing her bag of books and scrolls to the side as she did so. Instead of rolling around, she simply lay in the snow, her skin pinking from the chill. She was either too tired or too content to move. Maybe it was both. Either way, she refused to shift until a grinning Tonraq called to her.

"Let's get going, Korra. We still have a ways to walk before we get home."

Korra huffed and rose. She called Naga over, who had much of the same reaction as she did.

Asami watched in amusement, gripping her elbows to hold in her body heat. She followed the Southerners and suppressed her shivering; she was nowhere near prepared for this type of cold. Republic City was like a sauna compared to this.

 _No wonder Korra would always say she was hot last semester._

She shook her head and staggered through the snow, unaccustomed to walking in this terrain. Everything was unfamiliar to her. There were no solid cement paths for her to follow, no specific landmarks for her to judge her location, no bustling noises and constant humdrum and sparkling lights that were common to the metropolis that was Republic City. The area around her was barren, a very small sect of tiny, snow covered houses at the edge of her sight.

Asami was a shaking mess by the time they reached what Korra called home. Tonraq forced the rather large door open and held it in place while the rest of them – polar bear dog included – slipped inside. Though there wasn't much of a heat difference when they entered, Asami was already grateful for the wind protection.

"I'll get some fires started. It will warm this place right up in no time." Tonraq walked past her, tossing the bags to the side of the small common room as he did so.

"Are you two hungry? I think we've got some food left over from Shili."

"I'm okay, mom." Korra turned to Asami and met her peridots. "What about you, Asami?"

"I really just want to warm up and sleep, to be honest." She couldn't help but be blunt in her exhaustion.

Senna nodded. "That's understandable; you've been awake for a long time. I can take you to your room, Asami. Let me grab you a pelt." She paced into a different hallway and left her sight.

Asami examined the room with curious eyes. Korra's house was small and somewhat frail, though its walls held more of a homey vibe than any place she'd been before. It was certainly different from the Estate she had spent most of her life in, but she wasn't bragging in the slightest. Rather, Asami was very aware of her position and always tried to carry herself with humility; she was no more or less important than any other person in the world, and if she were to be upright, she didn't really find a need for excessive vanity. She was more than willing and content to share her wealth with others, especially those in need. There were, of course, times when she had threatened to use her position and power as the daughter of Hiroshi Sato against someone to support her own moral agenda and partial grudges, though her reflections on the altercations made her feel gritty inside. The most potent of these memories was her berating of Dr. Suri for wanting to drop the pursuit of Sentai and the rest of his cohort. She had felt very much unlike herself in those moments, though with everything that had been happening the past few days, that instance was forced to the backburner to evaluate later on.

Yes, Korra's house might not be a mansion – even though Tonraq was the 'Chief' of the Tribe – but it didn't matter to her, because Asami didn't _want_ it to be a large building. She liked _this_ house. She liked its cozy feel, even if it _was_ cold and brittle. She liked how close she was to the people inside, her peripherals closing in on Korra a few feet away from her. Most of all, she liked that it didn't remind her of her home in Republic City; her internal struggle with the benefit of the doubt that she had for her father was _not_ something she was looking to focus on any time soon.

 _Relax, Asami. You're too tired for this. All of these things… we can deal with them later._

She bobbed her internal head and continued looking around the room. Her sight fell on the doorway before her, its construction seemingly large and out of place with the rest of the house.

Her confused expression didn't go unnoticed.

"My dad had the entrances to the house, the hallway, and my room modified so that Naga could fit through it when she got too big for the old openings." Korra joined her side, hands on her hips. "I'm pretty sure Naga has already gone to my room to sleep; she was so tired."

"I think we _all_ are." It came out as a chuckle.

Korra laughed in response. "It's certainly been a crazy ride. But we'll be safe here." She put a palm on Asami's shoulder. Their eyes met. A gentle smile covered their lips.

"Here you go, Asami." Senna entered, her focus on the blanket outstretched before her. "I thought we had an extra pelt, but we lost quite a few during the trip and when Korra went to college."

Korra looked away with a sheepish appearance.

"Thank-you." Asami didn't care whether the fabric was made from threads or the warmest animal fur in the world; she just wanted to get _warm_. She wrapped the material around her shoulders and hid her shiver.

"Let's get you to your room." She ushered Asami down the hallway, eager for her to rest; she could see the woman's enervation in her eyes and it was more than enough to cause concern in her heart for her wellbeing. "We don't really have _guest_ rooms, Asami, but you can stay in the training room. It's the only empty space that –"

Their voices trailed off as they got further away from Korra, rounding a corner into the small practice area.

"Good night, Asami." Korra muttered with a smile. After a large yawn, she staggered to her bedroom and shut the door. As she predicted, Naga was already asleep near the window. She wasted no time with starting a fire in her mantle, though she _did_ spare a few minutes to change out of her dirty, bloody clothes and bands and into some fresh pajamas. Korra plopped into her bed and burrowed under the light-colored pelt that remained while she was away. She opened herself to the feeling of being home, though it wasn't quite what she imagined. There was still something missing, something nagging at her and keeping the void inside of her intact. Unfortunately for her, this was enough to stop her aching body from falling into the slumber that it needed.

(-)


	21. Cold

Chapter 21

 **Cold**

Asami couldn't sleep.

As much as she wanted to, as much as her body was _yearning_ for rest, she couldn't do it.

Why?

She was just too fucking cold.

Contrary to her original folly of not caring what fabric she had to lay with, she found that the blanket she was wrapped in offered very little heat trapping ability, its size not even enough to cover the entirety of her body. Now, she longed for a pelt or a fur or _anything_ warmer than this shitty cloth.

 _Just hang in there._

She rolled over and curled inward, trying to get as much of herself under the faulty throw as she could. The oil from her clothes rubbed off onto the blue fabric. At this point in her exhaustion, she didn't care; she would help Senna clean it in the morning, when she was well rested – _if_ she could sleep at all. She held her knees to her chest and shook, trying with all of her might to warm up.

 _You'll be asleep in no time. Then you won't think about the cold. Just keep trying to drift._

There was no fire in her room as there were in the others. Even the object she slept on was nothing more than some cushions on the floor. Her eyes stared at the mantle, its opening void of any wood to burn. She had heard Tonraq reassure Senna that he would get more in the morning earlier in the night, but that didn't help her right _now_.

 _Relax. You're fine._

 _No, I'm_ _not_ _._

She scowled and flipped back to her other side. This was maddening torture, she concluded, her body forcing her awake despite all she'd done in the last few days. She gazed at the wall, which looked much thinner than the others she had seen in the very small house, almost as if there were several layers missing in the stone. The wind whipped against the glass of the window, its cold seeping into the room.

 _Just move over. You'll be fine._

Asami crawled as far away from that part of the room as she could. It proved to be of little use.

 _Just a little longer._

After several more minutes of increased shaking and overall fatigue, she broke.

 _I can't do this anymore._

She rose to her feet and resisted the urge to toss her blanket to the ground in tired frustration.

 _Maybe if I just sit by one of those fires Tonraq made, I can warm up._

She pulled the door open as quiet as she could and peered outside. The hallway was dark, illuminated by the small amount of light bouncing off the walls in the other room. She could hear Korra's parents conversing and decided not to bother entering; she wasn't in the mood for talking and didn't want to make them uncomfortable with her awkward, quaking silence.

Instead, she tiptoed down the corridor in hopes of finding Korra's room undetected. She searched for a wooden entrance large enough for Naga to fit through. When she found it, her knuckles tapped the door in rather soft knocks.

"Korra?" She whispered, hoping to avoid attracting attention from the Water Tribe couple nearby.

"Asami?" Her voice was muffled through the wall. After the sound of heavy footsteps across the wooden floor ceased, the door creaked open. Korra squinted for a moment to the slight change in lighting. Her white tank and blue sweatpants were loose against her skin. She rubbed the side of her head, blinking several times before speaking. "Is everything okay?" It took only a second for her to notice that no, everything was _not_ okay. "You're shivering." She widened the entrance and waved Asami inside. "Come in. I'll start a fire."

She hesitated for a moment, watching from the doorway as Korra approached the mantle. When she grabbed the sparking rocks from the edge of the fireplace, Asami entered. She shut the door behind her, already feeling a bit warmer under the thicker walls. A smile crossed her face when the flames flicked to life.

"There we go." Korra straightened off the floor, a satisfied look on her face. "It shouldn't take too long for the room to warm up to your liking." She approached her guest from the opposing wall, their eyes locking as she moved. Her tan fingers brushed away some of the dirt from Asami's cheek.

Asami begged to the Spirits, _pleaded_ that Korra's hand not leave her face. Her palm was so warm and – and _relaxing._

"You're still shaking. Here, come sit by the fire."

"I actually shouldn't sit too close." She took a half step away from Korra. "My clothes are somewhat flammable right now."

She raised a confused eyebrow as she traced over Asami's body. Realizing this was a mistake, she turned away with flushed cheeks and scurried to her bed. "Here, you can cover up with my pelt, then." She held the light grey fur up to Asami with an unseen smile, using part of it to cover her blush.

"Is this a wolf pelt?"

Korra nodded. "I've had it for as long as I can remember. I think my dad went out and got it the day I was born. At least, that's what he told me. It might have been the week I was born – but that's not important."

Asami faltered. "Korra, I don't want to stain your nice fur." She spoke through chattering teeth.

"What do you mean?" She lowered the pelt until her oceans met the peridots in front of her. The dirt and oil marks around her face and on the blanket in her gloved hands were enough for her exhausted mind to put it together. "Right. The repairs..." She frowned and tossed the fur back onto her bed. "Maybe I can start a bath for you." Korra turned back to Asami with another smile, excited that she thought of this potential solution. When their eyes met, she looked away, faint remnants of her rosy cheeks remaining. "Well, if you want. It's just down the hall."

"That sounds wonderful, actually. I haven't had a shower in _days_."

"And it'll help you warm up, too. Here, come with me. I'll show you how it works." She took Asami's hand and pulled her out of her bedroom, eager to stop Asami from shivering; she didn't like seeing her so uncomfortable and wanted to do whatever she could to help.

They snuck down the hallway and past the now-barren, fire lit common room.

 _Her parents must have gone to bed. But why would they leave the fire going?_

Korra led her to the end of the corridor, next to the training room. The door was already open, signaling its emptiness.

"Good; no one is in here." She made her way through the entrance, releasing Asami as she did so. She fumbled around for the mantle until her hands found the sparking stones beside it. She knelt down and scraped one with the other, lighting the small amount of kindling after her fourth try. She crouched further and blew on it until the larger log started to burn. "That's odd. We usually have a lot more wood on hand. Dad must need to stock up." Korra mumbled to herself as she rose and crossed the room, focused on her task.

Asami observed the space from the doorway, the blanket still tight in her grasp. There was a small stone tub of standing water in the corner. In the space opposite was a gravity-fed toilet system made of the same material. The room was cramped and tiny, but she still felt the need to make it tighter by shutting the door. She joined Korra by the mantle and watched as she placed several rocks into a half-filled stone pot hanging above the fire.

"What are you doing, Korra?"

"Getting heating stones," she called over her shoulder as she left to gather a few more from the small pile near the tub. "It's going to take a little while to heat the tub up." She plopped a few more in the pot and straightened.

"Why do you have to boil stones?"

"We use them to heat the water in the tub." Korra paced over to the bath and stuck her finger in. A shiver crawled up her spine. "Wow, that's cold. I'm surprised that it hasn't frozen, to be honest. Maybe they put some salts in before they left… But don't worry, though; it will be warm soon." She returned to Asami's side and scrunched her brow when she saw her expression. "You look confused, Asami."

"I am, just a little bit. Maybe I'm just tired. Or… well, I guess I'm just used to doing things a different way. Why don't you just fill the tub with heated water from the tap?"

"We – uh – don't have running water in this part of the village. There are areas in Harbor City that do, but the pipes tend to freeze out here, so it's a lot harder to put plumbing in. We've tried before, but it… didn't go well." She ran a hand through her hair, her expression a bit sheepish.

"Do the people in your village just use buckets to supply their water, then? Or a gravity fed trough or something?"

"Some of them use buckets. Most of the homes just get their water supply by Bending the water from the river and boiling it."

Asami crossed her arms. "That doesn't seem very useful to the people who can't Water Bend in the village."

Korra looked away, hiding her flinch, and stared at the tub across the room. "Yeah."

Her heart dropped when she realized what she said. "Korra, I'm sorry –"

"Don't apologize." She held her hand up to stop Asami. "It's something that I just need to accept; I'm not a Water Bender. Besides, your statement isn't wrong. It _is_ a bit less convenient for Non-Benders to live by themselves here."

"It doesn't mean I should have said it."

"It's fine." Though she spoke the reassuring words, nothing in her tone or posture confirmed the state to be true. She walked over to the mantle and used a long bone with a two-pronged split at the end to lift the pot from the fire by its thin, metal handle. She brought it to the tub and submerged it until the exterior was cool enough to touch. Korra dumped some of the water from the container – the rocks still in its bottom – and returned to the fireplace. She placed the holder back onto its hook and started the process over again in silence.

Asami watched with worried eyes; she never meant to hurt Korra. The words just _came out_. Maybe it was her exhaustion that was disintegrating her filter. Or maybe her fatigue was affecting her tone. Either way, the guilt was unbearable to her.

"One or two more of these and the water should be warm enough for you to bathe in without getting cold too quickly." She pulled Asami from her thoughts and met her peridots.

 _Asami._

Korra knew that look. It was a look that she didn't want to _ever_ see in the woman's eyes. She stepped closer – running on instinct alone – and slid the fingertips of both hands into the raven locks in front of her. Her expression was soft, a gentle smile spreading up to her cheeks.

 _I'm okay, Asami. Please don't be so hard on yourself._

Words weren't needed in this instance. If anything, they would make things worse. Both of them were more than okay with this silent communication.

Asami saw everything she needed to know in those oceans before her. The worry melted away.

Her grin widened when she noticed the change in Asami's composure.

Their stares said more than their words ever could. They moved so the space between them was even less, their bodies separated by just a few inches.

A pop of a smaller rock behind them startled Korra. She rushed over and retrieved the neglected pot, carrying it with the carved bone to the tub. She had to remind herself that these stones were nowhere near the boiling chips she used in chem lab; they had to be watched, as did the container, so that nothing cracked. Another dip of the heated materials and a quick finger test followed. "How's this, Asami?"

She joined Korra's side and removed her blackened glove to feel the water.

Korra noticed a blue line on what looked like ink on one of Asami's hands, but thought nothing of it, throwing the image into the back of her mind with the rest.

"Perfect," Asami muttered with closed eyes, too excited to get in and clean the grime off of her skin.

"Good." Korra removed the chilled pot of rocks and returned it to the mantle, though she kept it out of the fire. "If you need to warm it up more, then the pot is right here. And there's some soap right next to the tub."

"Excellent. Thank-you so much, Korra."

She nodded in response and walked up to Asami.

Asami kept her eyes on Korra, who was standing before her in an awkward blush, neither of them quite sure what to say at this point.

"I – uh – well…I should – I'll be in my room, if you – um – need… anything…"

 _Get it together, Korra. It's just Asami. She's just taking a bath. In your home. A few feet away._

 _You're not helping._

 _Relax. Just talk to her. You've done it before._

 _You make it sound so_ _easy_ _._

 _Well –_

 _Hush._

"Thank-you, Korra." She grinned pushed some of the woman's hair behind her tan ear, reading the bit of hysteria inside of Korra through her blue eyes. Asami hoped that her touch would calm the girl, would soothe her. "I appreciate it," she threw that in, too, to showcase her gratitude.

The reddening worsened, much to Asami's dismay.

Korra tried to turn away, but her feet wouldn't work. She stuttered and mumbled until her tongue, lips, and vocal chords could manage to form the words "you're welcome".

 _Move, legs, move. Go. Run. Hop. Skip. Do something. Anything. Leave._ _Now_ _._

She spun around and almost sprinted out of the door, her body inches away from smashing into the frame. Her flushed cheeks remained even after she had returned to her bed and shoved her face in her pillow, embarrassed for all of her stammering. "I don't _understand_ , Naga." She groaned to her polar bear dog, collapsing onto her mattress in defeat.

Naga lifted her head, yawned, and snapped her teeth back together. She stared at Korra, waiting for some sort of explanation from her human companion. When there was nothing but silence to follow, she tilted her head and lowered it until she was back in her sleeping position.

(-)

Half an hour passed.

Korra was still lying there, face in her pillow, her limbs curled up in her befuddled position. She had way too much time to try and think about why Asami was affecting her the way she did.

The keyword: _try_.

It wasn't easy for her to pick through her feelings in her exhaustion and mental state. She _knew_ she had feelings for Asami; it was no surprise to her. She knew she was _attracted_ to Asami. She knew she _loved_ Asami. And she knew that she had felt this way towards her for a _long_ time. So _why_ , she was trying to decipher, did just the _thought_ of Asami reduce her to some kind of internal mush when it hadn't been so severe in the past?

Why did she notice more and more every time she caught herself looking at Asami's body?

Why did Asami grow more and more beautiful to her with each passing glance?

Why did her ability to speak in a coherent fashion disintegrate whenever she was talking to Asami?

 _Why_ did she feel warm inside when they were together, even if they weren't interacting directly with one another?

And, most of all, _why_ couldn't she believe that her love for Asami was to blame for all of this?

Instead, she was convinced it was her exhaustion. It _had_ to be, in her eyes. She hadn't been this nervous and incapable when they had spent time together during college. Now that all of this – _whatever the hell it was_ – was going on, it seemed that her abilities worsened with her enervation. It was the only logical explanation she would accept for her behavior and it took her half an hour just to get to this point.

She didn't have much time to debate it, though, when a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

Korra scurried from her bed, knowing full well who would be on the other side of the entrance.

What she _wasn't_ expecting, though, was the tall, beautiful, porcelain woman to be standing in front of her, wrapped up in just the small blue blanket and nothing else.

If Korra was a 'real' Fire Bender, she was sure that she would have burst into flames on the spot.

Small drops of water fell from her black locks and slid down her shoulders. The grime and makeup was washed off of her face. Her skin looked pale and soft and gorgeous.

Korra had to fight the urge to reach out and touch what she was starting to believe was some sort of divine spirit, gracing her with its presence.

She tried not to trace the rest of her body, fought with all of her might, but her peripherals coaxed her and her eyes betrayed her. She glanced down – just for a split second – at Asami's chest. Warmth spread inside of her from her cheeks further south. Her oceans met the peridots in front of her in an instant from guilt, but this didn't help. She blushed harder than she ever had before and looked away.

"I – uh – hey… Asami..." She refused to look at her, too embarrassed to do so. If anything, she wished she was an Earth Bender so she could burrow far under the ground and never surface again.

Asami couldn't help but smile at the flustered version of Korra before her. The evaporation of the water on her skin forced a shiver up her spine and brought her back to her original purpose of coming to Korra's door. "Hey, do you think I could borrow some clothes for tonight? Mine are… well…" she glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the bathroom. " _Really_ dirty."

"Oh!" She almost lifted her eyes back to Asami but stopped herself at the last second. "Yes, of course! That's why you're here. Of course it is. Sure. No problem." She scurried to her dresser and fumbled with the drawers. After struggling for several seconds and dropping both the tank _and_ the blue sweatpants she was retrieving, she stumbled her way back to the doorframe. "Here, uh, these should work." She outstretched her arm, the clothes tight in her grip, her pupils burning a hole in the floorboards.

"Thank-you." Asami slid her fingers across the back of Korra's hand as she took the pajamas from her, though the move was unintentional; her subconscious was at it again. Despite this, she embraced the warmth of both Korra and the fire from the bedroom mantle. She thought of the cold training room that awaited her and quivered.

"You're still cold." It wasn't a question. "Here, come inside. It's much warmer in here." Korra stepped to the side and gestured towards the fire place. "I don't want you to sleep in the training room tonight, Asami. It's too cold and uncomfortable. _Trust me_ ; I've fallen asleep there a lot."

Her wording didn't go unnoticed. Regardless, a gracious smile covered her lips. It was as if Korra could read her mind. "Thank-you, Korra. I really appreciate it." She slipped inside as Korra shut the door behind her. She balanced the blanket on her body as she pulled the tank and pants on. Once the clothes were in place, she discarded the fabric on the floor near Korra's bag of books and scrolls.

It took Korra a moment to gather her words. The only one that would come to her was 'wow'.

 _Korra, for Spirits' sake,_ _focus_ _! Be courteous. She's your friend. Fucking treat her like one. Say something instead of awkwardly staring at her the way you are right now._

 _Right. Of course. Focus. Courting. Friend. Words._

 _No, not courting, courte –_

"You can sleep in my bed." She blurted out, ignoring her correcting thoughts.

Asami faced her, a bit taken aback from her outburst. She met her ocean irises and felt the anxiety ooze from Korra.

"You know, uh – if you want. You can use my pelt and stuff. There's plenty of space and it's comfy and not the floor and I can – I'll – Naga!" She turned to the sleeping giant and outstretched her arms. "I'll lay with Naga. That's what I'll do." She shuffled over to the polar bear dog and tried to snuggle herself up next to the animal.

Her movements were too rough for her four-legged friend's liking.

Naga nudged her away with a grunt, not appreciating the disruption of her sleep. She huffed and returned to her slumber.

"Fine, Naga, I'll sleep on the _ground_." She grumbled and curled up a foot or two away, mumbling the word "rude" along with other incoherent, dissatisfied noises.

As much as Asami was amused by her behavior, she couldn't take watching Korra go through the torment anymore. If anything, Korra needed sleep more than all of them, and she didn't doubt that this exhaustion had some sort of effect on her social skills right now. She walked over to her and crouched down, caressing her tan shoulder with her palm. "Korra, you're not sleeping on the floor – _especially_ in your own house. Come here." She skimmed her fingers down to the woman's hand and gripped it.

Korra first looked at their connection, and then stared at Asami. She rose with her as if she were in a trance, locked onto her peridots. Korra could feel Asami shake as she pulled her to the bed.

Asami crawled onto the mattress first, prompting Korra to follow. She sat on the closest side to the edge and patted the spot behind her.

Korra was too tired to object. Too tired to rationalize. Too tired to even _think_ about what was happening right now. So she shut her mind down and allowed her body to move. Her legs brought her to the other side of the bed and pushed her onto it. She burrowed under half of the pelt and held the other side open for Asami. "You're still shivering. Still – still cold. I can keep you warm, Asami," she spoke with a dry voice, her exhaustion taking over. "If you want."

The smile on Asami's face matched Korra's. She nodded, a bit of fervor in her eyes.

Korra tossed the other half of the pelt onto Asami. They both stretched their bodies and lay on the mattress, too ready for their sleep to begin. Korra brought her hand around Asami's torso to tuck the fur underneath her. When the task was complete, she felt a set of fingers intertwine with hers, holding her arm in place.

 _Relax, Korra. Relax._

A tired smirk crossed her face, as if Asami's thought penetrated her mind through actions and silence alone. Korra settled behind Asami, ensuring that the entirety of the Asami's body was covered with the pelt before doing so. She inched towards her in her enervation, her nervous flutters and inhibition gone away for the time being. Korra buried her face into Asami's locks, nudging her way to the crook of Asami's neck.

Asami didn't mind being this close to her one bit. As a matter of fact, she _preferred_ it. The heat radiating off of the Water Tribe girl behind her melted her to the core, destroying the ice she had tried to build inside of herself on the railing of that stolen ship. It left a familiar, undeniable warmth within her.

Their bodies touched, Korra's front to Asami's back. Their hands never separated, fingers locked against Asami's abdomen. They shut their eyes at damn near the same time and took a deep breath. With each gentle exhale, the only thought that crossed their minds – the only _word_ that they could think of – before slumber took them away from the world was the name of the other in their grasp.

(-)


	22. Instinct

Hurray I have time to update (as I ignore what my professor is saying in class because I'm a good student lol).

(-)

Chapter 22

 **Instinct**

"I'm coming, Naga, I'm coming. I hear you." Senna approached the large bedroom door and cracked it open.

The whimpering polar bear dog bolted out, heading straight for the exit to the house. She sped past Tonraq, who flattened against the wall to prevent a collision. Naga burst through the front door that Senna had opened prior to freeing her from Korra's bedroom. She sprinted away from the village, looking for a place to relieve herself.

"Korra, it's time for –" She halted at the doorframe. Her eyes were on the mattress where her daughter lay, fast asleep and undisturbed by her animal companion. Asami was in Korra's arms in a similar state of deep sleep. A gentle smile crossed her lips.

"What was that all about?" Her husband joined her side, glancing over his shoulder at the path Naga took down the hall. One of the fur rugs was in a heap against the wall, displaced by her giant paws. He twisted back around and stared at his wife. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. Naga just had to use the 'great outdoors'." She shut the door as soft as she could before Tonraq could step inside. "Korra is still sleeping. I don't want to disturb her; she really needs the rest."

He nodded and walked down the corridor with Senna. "What about Asami?"

"She's sleeping as well. I'll keep the sea prune stew warm until they wake."

"Good idea. I've got a convoy going with me to the forest nearby to haul a tree in for firewood to use in the village. It seems like we're not the only ones who are low. I should be back in a few hours."

They stopped at the entrance of the house and observed the sky. It was clear of clouds as far as they could see, though there was a considerable arctic gust blowing between them.

Tonraq adjusted the cuffs to his parka, ensuring there was a seal between the fur-lined fabric and his gloves to protect his skin. He motioned to leave when a soft hand stopped him.

Senna looked into his eyes, her palms on the outside of his upper arms. There was a hint of concern in her blue-grey irises.

"Don't worry, Senna; I'll be fine. I've made this trip dozens of times before." He bent over and kissed his wife, pulling her close to him as he did. "I'll return soon."

The pair spun around when they heard heavy feet coming their way.

Naga approached them – tongue hanging out the side of her mouth – in a rather joyful strut.

Tonraq smiled and rubbed the animal's scruff once she slowed down. "Why don't you go to the Aakaga and find some fish for us to eat tonight?"

She barked and hopped in excitement. Within another second, she was taking off towards the river to do one of her favorite activities: hunt.

"I better get going. I can hear the snowmobiles coming. I'll see you soon." He pecked his wife one more time and departed to meet his small group east of the village.

Senna watched after him until he was out of sight. She stepped into the common room and grabbed a small bucket to leave outside the entrance – half-submerged in the snow to keep it cold – for any fish that Naga brought back. She took a moment to enjoy the familiar quietness of the Southern Water Tribe before shutting the door and returning to the kitchen.

(-)

Korra's eyes fluttered open from her dreamless sleep. Though it hadn't been a long slumber, it had brought her more peace than any of her previous combined. Confusion struck her when all she could see was black.

 _No, no, not again._

She braced herself for the voice calling her name and the horrible pain that accompanied it. When nothing happened, she cracked her lids in a mixture of hesitation and curiosity. Her sight was still just as dark, but the scent of arctic lilies filled her nostrils. She took a deep breath to inhale the sweet aroma. Whatever was surrounding her – whatever delusion this might be – she enjoyed it. She took another sniff that tickled her nose.

The movement in front of her got her attention.

Korra's hazy mist of torpor was replaced with a waking body. Soon, she was conscious of her limbs, of the fingers intertwined with hers, of the gentle expansion and deflation of the lungs next to her, of the great amount of warmth against her chest.

Much to her surprise, she didn't panic like she was expecting to. Her cheeks didn't burn with a blush. Her heart wasn't racing out of her rib cage.

She was calm. Relaxed. Peaceful.

She released a soft sound of satisfaction that was similar to a hum, desiring nothing more than for this serenity beside Asami to last forever.

No one, of course, was that lucky, especially _her_.

Her stomach growled with urgency, a small ache forming in her abdomen.

She sighed and pushed herself up to her knees with her free arm. Her eyes traced over Asami's sleeping face, a smile on her tan lips. She brushed a bit of the raven hair behind her ear with tender caresses. At the same time, she slid her hand out of Asami's slumbering grip, hoping the strokes would distract her in her unconscious state.

Korra maneuvered around Asami in small amounts, careful not to wake her. Once she was free of her wolf pelt, she tucked the ends under Asami and stood at the opposite side of the bed. The wood was cold against her feet. It forced a shiver to crawl over her skin. She wanted to burrow right back under the fur and curl up against Asami, but her stomach demanded her to do otherwise.

"Get some sleep, Asami," she whispered, "you've earned it."

She stopped in the doorway once more and glanced at the woman asleep in her bed. Another smile crept onto her face.

(-)

"Good morning, mom." Korra greeted her through a yawn, plopping herself onto her usual cushioned spot to eat. She sat at a simple, dark brown table about two feet tall. "Is that sea prune stew I smell?"

Senna grinned. "It is. I froze some before we left for Republic City so that we could have something to eat right away when we got back. Would you like some?"

Korra opened her mouth to respond but her stomach rumbled before she could speak.

"I guess so," she chuckled, scooping some of the warm food into a stone bowl for her child. "When was the last time you had a hot meal?"

"Probably three days ago. I've really missed your cooking, mom. Food in Republic City just isn't the same."

She placed the dish in front of her daughter and smiled as Korra breathed the faint vapors from its surface.

"Thanks, mom." She took a bite and hummed in excitement. "It's so good."

"Just wait until I have fresh sea prunes. It'll be even better."

Korra couldn't reply because she was so absorbed in her food. She sucked the bowl dry before Senna finished stirring the pot. Another yawn escaped her; she was still quite fatigued, despite her slumber last night.

"Where's Naga? I haven't seen her since last night."

Her mother spun around and retrieved the dish from her daughter. She filled it with more stew as she spoke, knowing full well that she didn't have to ask Korra if she wanted a second helping. "Naga's out fishing in the Aakaga right now. She was whimpering at the door to get let out this morning. I'm surprised you didn't hear her."

She had a sheepish expression as Senna returned the bowl. "I guess I was knocked out. I really needed some sleep."

"I know, sweetie." She kneeled across from her daughter with her own bowl of stew. "Naga seems to be a lot happier now that you're back. I haven't seen her so thrilled to be out since – well, before you left for college. She's even hunting again instead of sitting in your room, staring out the window."

"Good." Though her tone was pleased, there was a mixed frown on her face. She pushed the sea prunes around, ridden with guilt over the suffering of her polar bear dog, picturing her alone by her bed with – "How's Master Katara doing?" Her oceans met the blue-greys in front of her. "Did she improve after my last letter?"

"I told her what you said, but I don't think she believed me."

Korra averted her eyes. "I'm going to go see her today." She lifted a spoonful of prunes out of the stew but still couldn't eat it. "I missed her."

Senna covered her daughter's free hand with her own, seeing the sorrow in her expression. "She missed you, too, Korra. I'm sure she would appreciate it if you stopped by."

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Who could that be?" Senna rose from her spot and left the room to answer the pounds.

Korra leaned forward – utensil still in hand – trying to see around the corner. Her gut told her to follow her mother. Though she couldn't explain the instinct, she went with it.

"So you _are_ here. One of our guards saw an unfamiliar boat sail down the Paniga yesterday evening and they reported it to us. We traced it to the shores of the Aakaga and when we saw Naga running about, we thought we'd come to see if everything was okay. You're back _much earlier_ than we expected."

"Yes, things didn't go quite to plan, but –"

"Is Tonraq around?" A separate voice called.

"No, he just left a little while ago to –"

"Do you know when he'll be back?" A third man spoke up.

"Can I _help_ you?" There was a sting in her voice; it wasn't so much a question as it was a means of defense and intimidation. Korra could feel _something_ radiate off of her mother, and the more she heard these three men in blue and white robes talk, the more she agreed with the sentiment. Though her hair was down and disheveled and she was in her pajamas, she wedged herself between Senna and the visitors – arms crossed over her chest – in an attempt to look menacing. Her face, despite carrying dark rings under her eyes, was in a partial scowl.

"A – Korra. We didn't know you would be back as well, but I'm glad you're here. I don't believe we have formally met." The person in the front of the group, a pale man with a thin, black mustache and somewhat-hidden hair of the same shade, bowed to her in the style of a typical Fire Nation greeting; having experienced it firsthand, it didn't take Korra more than a second to recognize it. "I am Piku, of the Fire Nation. I'm one of the head officers of the Order of the White Lotus down here in the Southern Water Tribe, along with my colleagues, Shan and Natchik."

Korra stared at them, refusing to bow back to the Fire Nation man or to acknowledge the other two people behind him. She kept her position, though the anger in her eyes was now mixed with curiosity.

 _What the hell i_ s _the White Lotus doing here?_

When she remained still, Piku straightened with an expression harboring confusion and offense.

Korra read it with ease and revolted with her own distaste. "I don't appreciate the way you were talking to my mother."

"Korra." Senna put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, attempting to calm her.

"Please accept our atonement. We meant no disrespect." One of the men, with tan skin a shade or two lighter than hers and graying hair that spread from the crown of his head to a full beard on his chin, bobbed his head in sincerity.

"If you wanted to know where my father was, you would've been able to find out if you would have just let her speak." The aggression in her tone was core shaking, though the volume of her voice never rose past that of normal speech.

A powerful gust flowed through them, prompting the members of the White Lotus to burrow their hands in their sleeves. Even Senna rubbed her elbows for a moment to combat the chill.

Korra didn't even flinch.

"May we come in? It's quite cold out here."

She turned to her mother and met her eyes, attempting to evaluate Senna's expression. She twisted back to the others and nodded in reluctance.

"Thank-you."

Senna stepped inside, ushering Korra to follow.

Instead, she stood part way in the entrance, forcing the White Lotus members to squeeze by her in order to enter. Once they were in, she pushed the door shut with her heel. Korra stood by her mother's side, still agitated and protective.

The three men looked around, each standing at a different location: Piku was near the mantle in the back center of the common room, Shan – the lighter-skinned man – was near the entrance to the hallway leading to Korra's bedroom, the training room, and the bathroom, and Natchik – who was a shade quite similar to Korra herself – was near the entrance leading to the kitchen and her parent's quarters.

Korra squinted at the men in her house, a bit uneasy for reasons she couldn't decipher. "So, why do you want my dad?" She cut to the point, wanting nothing more than to get them out of her home.

"We just wanted to speak with him about the state of the Southern Water Tribe," Piku began, staring at the half-burning log with pale-yellow eyes, "and to welcome him back, of course."

"Is there something wrong? You seem pretty urgent to see him if you just want to wish us back. Besides," Korra shifted her weight, "why is the White Lotus bringing this type of news? Shouldn't that fall under the realm of the Council of Elders?"

Piku raised his eyebrow. "You're very well versed on the political structure down here, for someone of your age." He faced her and folded his hands behind his back. "How did your last semester at the University go?"

A bit of shock hit her face. She tried to maintain her domineering appearance, but faltered just a bit. "How did you know about that?"

"You're the Chief's daughter, Korra. It's important that we know. It came up in conversation quite often when your father and I would talk. Moreover," he took a few steps towards her, though his pupils were examining the large doorway nearby, "you were the first person from the Southern Water Tribe – directly – to attend the college in Republic City. It's quite a big deal to the people here."

"Yeah, well, you won't have to worry about that anymore." She tightened her arms and looked away, her scowl intensifying.

He halted and turned to her. "Why?"

Their eyes met, hers holding fire. "I won't be returning to the University at the start of the new year."

"May I ask the reason?"

"You can. It doesn't mean I have to answer."

"There were some – _difficulties_ – last semester," Senna slid between them, attempting to relieve the tension in the air. "But it's probably better that Korra not return. She'll be safer here than in Republic City."

Korra scowled and pouted her lip. Her peripherals noticed one of the men travel into the corridor leading to her bedroom. Her stomach turned.

 _Asami._

Before she could slip away to address the issue, Shan returned to the common room and faced the pair.

"Excuse me, Senna, do you mind if I use your restroom?"

"Of course." She paused for a moment when he hesitated at the frame. "It's to your right, at the end of the hallway."

He bowed and scurried along. The shutting of the door echoed into the room.

"So, where is Tonraq right now?" Piku asked as Natchik emerged from the opposing hallway, unnoticed by everyone except for Korra.

"He's out in the forest gathering some wood for the village." Her mother replied, facing Piku once more. "He's with several others and a few of the snowmobiles."

"Do you know when he'll return?" Natchik asked, joining Piku's side.

"In a few hours, I believe. He didn't give me a specific timeframe."

The two members of the White Lotus shared a quick glance.

"You never answered my question," Korra noted in a rather annoyed tone. "Why are you delivering messages for the Council of Elders?"

"If you must know, we were requested to do so."

"By _who_?"

"Katara. She wanted to speak to Tonraq herself, but she's at home right now; the cold is a bit too much for her today."

Korra's heart jumped for a moment. "Oh. Is – is she okay?"

"She's fine. Just a bit tired, but the cold will do that to you. Will you be seeing her, Korra?"

She met Piku's light gold irises with an eyebrow raised. "I plan on it. Why?"

"We are heading there soon, if you would like an escort."

She shifted her weight once more. "I know my way there. I'll have Naga with me; she's the only escort I need."

"Of course. By the way, where _is_ your polar bear dog right now?"

"Hunting, the last I heard."

They held each other's stares until Shan returned from the bathroom. His eyes met Piku's for a split second before the Fire Nation man switched his gaze back to Korra.

Her heart pounded in her head and she wasn't sure why.

 _Relax, Korra, relax. It's just the White Lotus._

 _Well, I've never met these guys before._

 _They've never really needed to be concerned with you, have they?_

 _I suppose not._

 _They're too busy trying to find Water Benders to care about you._

 _If that's the case, then why are they_ _here_ _?_

 _To deliver a message. Weren't you listening?_

A loud scratching at the door interrupted her thoughts, though her oceans were still burning into his yellows.

"That must be Naga," Senna left the group and cleared the entrance.

Naga tossed the fish she was carrying to the side and circled around Korra, forcing the three White Lotus members to step back. She rubbed against her human companion until she finished her revolution. Naga kept her side near Korra's back and wrapped around so that her head was almost in between Korra and the men. The look in her eyes matched Korra's, almost as if they were on the same mental page.

Korra maintained a ferocious fire. She didn't know _why_ she felt so guarded. Perhaps it was her natural instinct to protect her mother – _especially_ after the way they were speaking to her in the doorway. It could even be the off-putting feeling of having strangers in her home when she had _just_ gotten back. Or maybe it was the fact that Asami was asleep nearby, unable to defend herself if something happened.

Not that anything _would_ happen, she concluded. The White Lotus is a trusted organization; she had no need to worry about them harming anyone here. They were simply here to welcome them back to their home and send a message from Master Katara. Nothing more, nothing less.

 _But still…_

She held her gaze regardless, trusting her instinct above her mind in her tired state. Her cumulative enervation seeped into her more and more with each passing minute of consciousness. Korra shook her mental head and focused.

"We should actually get going, Senna. We have several other stops to make before midday hits." Piku bowed to the matriarch first and then to Korra. "Please, inform Tonraq when he returns that we were looking for him."

"I'll let him know," her mother responded, noticing the demeanor of her daughter and the polar bear dog in her peripherals. She wanted nothing more than to end the situation as quick as she could; if Korra was anything like her father – which she was – then that fiery hotness she was holding back was going to be uncapped soon. That was one thing Senna had no desire to see at the moment.

The three members of the White Lotus filed out of the house in a single line, bracing themselves for the cold wind. Once they were out of sight, Senna shut the door.

"That was odd." She retrieved the fish from the ground and joined Korra across the room.

"Yeah." Her mind was a bit distant as she calmed herself down from the reeling inside.

 _I wonder what Master Katara wants to talk to my dad about..._

"I'm going to go see Master Katara." She walked right past Senna, too focused on her inward thoughts.

Senna stood beside Naga, each of them conveying a worried expression.

(-)

Korra pushed the door open as quiet as she could and tiptoed into the room; she _really_ did not want to wake Asami while she slept. She did stop, however, to observe the woman in her bed.

Not that it was intentional.

She couldn't help but smile and gush at the feeling of seeing Asami wrapped up in a pelt – in _her_ pelt. Even with its lighter color, she managed to make it look more beautiful. Her face was gentle. She had shifted in her sleep so that her body was curled into a ball, from what Korra could make of the shape above the fur. The pelt was pulled up to her nose.

Korra's feet moved without her permission.

She approached the bed but didn't sit on it. Instead, she squatted down, observing Asami in silence at eye level. After a long moment of dazed grinning, she snapped herself out of her stupor and rose.

Korra caught her own reflection as she passed the mirror on her dresser. She paced over to it and analyzed herself, noting the circles under her eyes and the scar on her cheek. It was no lie that she looked tired, but it was more than just a 'sleep deprivation' thing. She rubbed her lids with the back of her hands, part of her hoping that her counterpart would improve after doing so.

It didn't.

She sighed and grabbed a fresh set of clothes from her dresser drawers: her normal light blue, sleeveless top, her baggy dark blue sweatpants, a pair of less-damaged animal skin boots, and a medium-sized pelt – belt and front cover fashioned into it – to put around her waist. After another glance at Asami, she slipped out into the bathroom to change; she couldn't even _imagine_ the thought of trying to switch her outfit in front of Asami, even if she _was_ asleep.

Korra scurried a little quicker to the notion and shut the door before anyone could see her.

She decided against taking a fresh bath; she was too eager to see Master Katara. Instead, she just wiped herself down with a wet rag, threw on her bindings and clothes – forearm bands included – and tied her hair back into her usual three wolf tails. The final piece that was missing was the armband around her right bicep, its triangular pattern marking her as a Warrior of the Southern Water Tribe. Though she had given her first to Ahyoka, she had another that her father had bestowed upon her when she had completed her ice dodging. She stared at the fabric in her hands, a mixture of feelings running through her.

Through wordless thoughts, she picked her pajamas up from the floor and returned to her bedroom, the armband on top of the pile. She tossed the clothes next to her bag of books and scrolls from the Fire Nation and Air Temple, the patterned fabric in her fingers once more. She glanced between her carrier and the cloth, her face perplexed.

With a quiet exhale, she placed the Warrior mark on top of her dresser, abandoned. She sulked to her closet and retrieved her single parka; her other one remained on the ground somewhere back on the border of Republic City with their deserted campsite. She spun around as she lifted it to her head but halted when her eyes fell on Asami.

Korra placed the coat on the bed next to Asami, knowing full well that, whenever Asami woke up from her slumber, she would most likely be cold. She had made the trip to Master Katara's hundreds of times in worse weather and less clothing, so she figured she could make this visit without the extra layer.

She lingered in the doorway for another second, staring at Asami, before heading down the hall to join her waiting polar bear dog in the common room.

"I'll be back in a little while, mom." Korra led her animal companion outside and climbed onto her, barebacked.

"Be careful, sweetie." Senna waved from the door and retrieved the bucket of fish from the ground that Naga had filled. She watched her daughter ride off into the distance before retreating into her home.


	23. Adventure

Double post today because I'm bad at life and haven't been able to write yet. .

(-)

Chapter 23

 **Adventure**

Korra hopped off of her polar bear dog and plopped into the snow with a soft thud. She turned to her companion and ruffled the fur around her ears. "I want you to go back home, girl, and keep an eye on mom and Asami for me. Can you do that?"

There was concern in her black eyes.

"Don't worry; I'll be fine. I'm just going to spend some time with Master Katara. I should be back by nightfall, okay?"

Naga nodded with reluctance and licked Korra's cheek.

"Thanks, girl. Now get going. I'll see you soon."

A soft whine escaped her. She hoped that it would convince Korra to change her mind, but when the woman remained unmoved, she lowered her head in defeat.

"Don't be sad. We'll have plenty of time to spend together later."

Naga huffed and turned away from Korra.

"Hey, now," she jogged until she was in front of Naga again, "don't be mad. I'll spend time with you when I get back. We'll snuggle up and everything. And tomorrow, we can go on a walk and go fishing together. But right now, I have to see Master Katara. You remember how sad she was when I was gone, don't you?"

She whimpered and patted her paws against the ground.

"Exactly. She's been waiting for me to come back, too. So I'm going to go spend some time with her. You can sit with us next time, okay?"

Though she was sad, she rubbed against Korra in agreement.

"I love you, too, girl. Now go keep an eye on my mom and Asami for me. Keep them safe. It's very important."

Naga barked and sped off, feet pounding into the snow.

"I thought I heard someone out here."

Korra spun on her heels to the voice behind her. She smiled and bowed to the woman before her. "Master Kya. It's so good to see you."

"Likewise." She imitated Korra's motion.

They chuckled when they rose and gave each other a light hug.

"I didn't know you'd be coming back to the Southern Water Tribe so soon. I thought you'd be gone for at least another semester."

"Yeah, I – uh…"

"Korra?"

Korra craned her neck around Kya to meet the eyes of the elder standing in the doorway. A huge grin took over her face. She sprinted away from Kya and enveloped Katara in a massive embrace.

She returned the favor, patting the back of the younger woman with one of her palms.

"I missed you so much, Master Katara."

"I missed you, too, Korra."

They departed and locked eyes.

"Come inside where it's warm. I've got some tea brewing. I want to hear all about your adventures in Republic City."

Korra rubbed the back of her head with her hand, a bit embarrassed. "I don't know if I would call them _adventures_ , Master Katara."

"Then I suppose _travels_ would be a better word." She smirked and turned her back on Korra, waving her hand forward to gesture her inside.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion at the phrasing, a bit hesitant.

Kya walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Korra. My mom's been waiting to talk to you for months."

 _Months?_

She followed Katara inside, a tinge of nervousness flowing through her.

Kya brought up the rear and shut the door behind them. She smiled at the sight of her happy mother; it was a state she hadn't seen in quite some time. She slipped into the kitchen to retrieve the tea as Korra and Katara settled in the common room.

"Please, take a seat, Korra. There is a lot I would like to talk to you about – the first thing being this." She shuffled over to a small nightstand next to a rather comfy-looking padded chair. She pulled the single drawer open and retrieved a small bundle of about two or three papers.

Korra sat in a chair across from her, her eyes wandering between Katara to her hands to the sheets. There was handwriting on each side of the slips, and the closer they got to her, the more she recognized the script as her own.

 _The letter._

(-)

Asami's eyes cracked open in a daze. Fortunate for her, her dreams were filled with nothing but darkness instead of the rampant thoughts she'd been having the past few days. Her body came back to her in pieces, each one more sore than the next. She shifted under the pelt, shaking her shoulders and stretching her legs out from her curled position. Her arms lifted above her head to intensify the extension. This forced her to roll onto her back. She blinked several times as she rotated her head to her left, searching for the woman whom she fell asleep next to the night before.

"Korra?"

Her grogginess faded in an instant. She sat up, rubbing her lids with her hands. When she came to, she scanned the room again. Korra wasn't beside her. Naga wasn't in the spot by the window. She noticed a powerful natural light beaming through the glass. She followed the rays until the sight of Korra's carrier full of books caught her attention. The blue blanket from last night was still nearby, but a new pile of clothes joined its ranks. She recognized them as Korra's pajamas.

Asami yawned and ran her hands through her hair.

 _How long have I been asleep?_

When she finished, her eyes inched back open. She twisted her torso a few times, each spin making her colder and colder. She stared at the pelt on her lap, her legs in warm content while her upper body started to chill in the bare white tank she borrowed from Korra. As much as she wanted to stay under the fur and sleep, her back was aching from inactivity and her stomach beckoned her to seek food. A faint aroma of something warm crossed her nostrils. She traced her fingers over the soft pelt one last time before pushing it off of her.

She grimaced and shook for a moment to the cold; the fire had long died out and the room had regained its muffled arctic chill.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her hands and knees to crawl off the bed. That's when she noticed the parka beside her.

She sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled the coat closer to examine it. It was a near replica of the one Korra let her wear back in Republic City.

A smile crossed her face; she knew _exactly_ why this was here.

 _She thought I would be cold when I woke up._

 _Well, was she wrong?_

Asami shook her head and threw the parka onto her torso. She wiggled herself inside and closed her eyes, already feeling the difference.

Her stomach grumbled again, forcing her from her half-dazed state.

 _I hear you loud and clear. I'm moving._

She stretched her way to her feet, the floorboards cold against her toes. Asami made her way through the corridor and the common room, allowing her nose to be the guide. She managed to get to the kitchen before a second yawn escaped her.

"Good afternoon, Asami."

She spun around to the voice, a tad bit startled. When her eyes fell on Senna, she relaxed. "Oh. Good afternoon." She smiled and bowed, unsure of what the appropriate greeting custom was in the south.

Senna chuckled. "Relax. There's no need to be super formal and tense here." She placed the dish she had been drying in the cupboard and shut the door. "Would you like something to eat?" She looked over her shoulder again, noting that Asami was wearing Korra's clothes.

"Yes, please."

"Take a seat. I'll bring you some stew." Senna motioned to the table as she walked over to the pot. "Have you ever had Southern Water Tribe food before?"

Asami sat agura style on the cushion that was usually reserved for Korra – unknowingly, of course – and folded her hands on the table. "I haven't."

"Well, I hope you like this." Senna placed the bowl in front of Asami and kneeled across from her. "It's sea prune stew. It's reheated, though, so it's not as good as a fresh batch."

She grabbed a spoon and swirled it around, observing the chunks of fruit in the liquid. "Where's Korra," she asked as she took a bite of the food.

It took everything in her not to spit the stew right out.

While it didn't necessarily taste _bad_ , it was _not_ something she was used to eating. The sea prunes were sweet and somewhat chewy in their own sense, mixed with the salty taste of the sea and several other seasonings.

But something about it just wasn't… _good_ , to her.

Senna recognized the look on her face and chuckled. "Don't worry, Asami. Sea prunes are definitely an _acquired_ taste. It'll take some time to get used to. Korra used to hate them when she was younger, but now, they're one of her favorites. Other than arctic hen, of course, but we don't get to eat that quite as often."

She forced herself to swallow and tried to act gracious; they let her into their home without a second thought _despite_ only knowing each other for a few days. Not just that, but they were also feeding her and clothing her. The least she could do was be respectful to them. And even _if_ she didn't like the stew right away, her stomach was content, and at that point, that was all that mattered to her. Asami took another bite, hoping this one would be more kind than the last.

It wasn't.

"I can make you something else, if you'd like."

"No, no. I'm going to eat this." Asami took a third spoonful in and ate it with less of a grimace on her face. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Thank-you, Asami. That's very nice of you."

She smiled and shoved some more stew into her mouth, struggling to maintain that grin. "So, where's Korra? I haven't seen her since I woke up."

"She went to go visit Master Katara a little while ago. Naga went with her."

Asami nodded in response and gulped another sea prune down. She hoped to the Spirits that she wouldn't have to eat this again for dinner. "What about Tonraq?"

"Oh, he's –"

A loud burst through the front door caused both of them to jump.

Asami was on the defense in an instant, despite half of her being in shock.

The latch slammed shut afterwards, combatting the powerful gusts that forced it open.

"Senna?" Tonraq called, rubbing his arms to gain as much warmth as possible.

She rushed into the common room, Asami on her heels.

"Tonraq? Are you alright?" Senna threw her palms to his cheeks. "You're freezing. Here, come sit by the fire." She guided him to the mantel and helped him down.

He puffed once or twice, rubbing his hands together.

"What happened?"

"We were in the forest, cutting the lumber up, and when we went to start the snowmobiles, they wouldn't work. We can't get them to run and we have no way of hauling all the wood back on our own. I came back so that I could get to the garage in Harbor City and grab another one, but the wind is getting fierce out there. I stopped here for a break."

"Those snowmobiles have been giving you nothing but trouble since we've got them."

"I know they have. But not everyone has a polar bear dog to haul what they need, so we have to make do with what we've got." He pushed himself to his feet, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't even know if we'll be able to fix these two. They were our best ones and they were still pretty shot."

"Let me help you." Asami stepped forward, eagerness in her posture. "I've got plenty of experience working with machines. You've seen me repair the engine on the ship we took. Besides, I want to earn my keep while I'm here in any way I can."

Tonraq faced her and smiled. "That would be very helpful, Asami." He crossed over to the corridor leading to the kitchen to grab himself some sea prune stew. "You might want to put on a few more layers, though. Those pajama pants won't do you much good out in the cold," he called over his shoulder as he left the room.

She turned to Senna.

"Don't worry, Asami. I washed your outfit the best I could this morning and it's all ready to go for you. Korra's got some clothes that she can spare for you, too. Gloves, pants – you name it – as long as you don't mind wearing blue." She chuckled while she walked by, ushering Asami to follow her.

Just as they passed the entrance to the common room, a loud pawing reverberated from the door.

"Naga?" Asami pulled the handle, confusion guiding her.

 _I thought she was with Korra._

The polar bear dog flew through the frame, propelled by the wind. She smashed right into Asami.

Asami fell onto her back with a thud.

Naga lowered her head, embarrassed, though she _did_ take a few seconds to sniff the woman underneath her, picking up Korra's scent on the clothing.

Senna forced the door shut and sighed in relief. She spun around to the pair and approached them, just as Naga started licking Asami's cheek. "Naga, get off of Asami. I'm sure she likes you, but I'm also sure she doesn't like you _crushing_ her."

She barked and stepped away, giving Asami her space.

Asami crawled to her feet, wiping the saliva off with the back of her hand. "Thanks for that." She turned to Naga, who rubbed against her the instant she was upright.

"Is everything alright, Naga? Did Korra send you back?"

She nodded towards Senna and circled around Asami once more.

A light bulb lit up in Asami's head.

"Hey, Naga, we're going to go on an adventure. Do you want to come with us?"

Naga tilted her head for a moment in consideration. After a second of thought, she woofed in excitement.

"Great. We need to get your saddle on, though. Alright?"

She bobbed and walked over to Senna. She sat in front of her, tail patting the floor.

"I'm going to stay here, Naga, so that I can start deboning the fish for dinner."

Naga whimpered and slouched.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go with Asami and Tonraq and watch after them."

She howled and joined Asami's side once more.

"Come on, Naga. I've got to get some more clothes on and then we're going to head out."

Naga panted and followed Asami to Korra's room, almost as if she were the Water Tribe girl herself.

(-)


	24. Something wrong

Hey all. Sorry for such a long wait; life has been extremely stressful and busy. Things should be more clear after this Wednesday though! So look forward to more updates. ^_^

(-)

Chapter 24

 **Something wrong**

"Are you sure this is going to work, Asami," Tonraq questioned as they stood outside of his home. The wind blew between them.

"I don't see why not," she called out over the howl of the gust, fastening the harness around Naga. She pulled Korra's parka hood closer to her face and rubbed her eyes, somewhat grateful that she didn't bother putting makeup on from her emergency kit before leaving; there was no use in wasting it if she was just going to get dirty from working on the snowmobiles. The little bag bounced off of her leg as she moved until the motion became minute enough for her to ignore again. She circled around to Naga's face and scratched it. "Is it okay if we ride you, Naga?"

The animal made a short, guttural sound of displeasure.

"But you let me ride you in Republic City."

"Because she wanted to find Korra." Tonraq stepped beside her and crossed his arms "Now that Korra's back, she's off limits."

"Is that how you feel, Naga?"

She barked and scratched her ear with her back paw.

"How about we strike a deal?"

Naga tilted her head at Asami in both confusion and curiosity.

"If you help us today, then I'll pet you and play with you for the rest of the night."

She remained unmoved.

"I'll even give you a special 'polar bear dog' massage."

She shifted into a sitting position with her front legs straight up. After a yawn and a snap of her teeth, she sniffed Asami.

 _This doesn't seem to be very appealing to her._

"I'll also give you some of my fish tonight when we eat dinner."

This got her attention. Her ears perked up. She twisted her head again and stood up with a soft noise escaping her throat.

"Half?"

She woofed.

"Three-quarters?"

Naga paused to consider, every part of her still.

"Fine, _all_ of my fish."

She jumped up and barked, accepting the offer. She licked her pale cheek, circled her, and kneeled so that Asami could climb on.

Tonraq scratched his head, still trying to figure out exactly what just happened.

 _All this time, I could have just given her_ _food_ _?_

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed before hopping onto the polar bear dog's back, using a small bit of Water Bending to push himself up.

Asami adjusted herself at the reigns and ushered Naga forward.

They sped away, Tonraq's hands gripping the saddle to keep himself aboard.

"Just let me know where to go, okay?" She called over her shoulder.

He nodded and braced himself for the journey to Harbor City.

(-)

"I hope you don't mind that I kept this here, Korra. I know they were addressed to Tonraq," she handed the letter over to Korra, "but I was interested in what you had to say."

Korra took the papers and read them over, a bit nostalgic at how happy she sounded when she wrote them. She blushed when she read the portion about Asami, and froze when she got to the section about the Avatar. She set the sheets on the table beside her and looked away. "I'm assuming it's not the parts about classes or Asami that you want to talk about."

"Well, I wouldn't mind talking about those things. They're important to you."

She looked up and met Katara's eyes. A gentle smile crossed her lips.

They averted their gaze when Kya entered the room, a tray of tea in her hand.

"Did I miss anything?" She handed each of them a steaming mug and plopped down into a separate chair, making a small triangle shape between the three of them.

Korra eyed the letters for a split second before staring at the wall opposite of Kya. "Not really, no."

Kya wasn't stupid, and she _certainly_ wasn't clueless. "Are you going to ask her about the Avatar, mom?"

Her oceans met Katara's blues in an almost frantic state.

 _The Avatar? What could I possibly know about the Avatar that Master Katara doesn't? She_ _dated_ _the Avatar. She was_ _married_ _to him!_

"Relax, Korra. You're not on trial, here." She took a sip of her tea. "Tonraq tells me that you know quite a bit about the Avatar from all of the books you've read."

"I know a little bit, I guess."

"Could you tell me about it? About what you know?"

She scratched her head, her mug abandoned on the side table. "Well… What specifically do you want to know?"

"Everything."

Korra raised her eyebrow and glanced at Kya, her eyes begging for an escape.

Unfortunately for her, Kya looked just as intrigued as Katara did.

She refocused on Katara and hesitated. "Well, um, where should I start?"

"Tell me about Aang."

"Master Aang? You know more about him than I ever could."

"That's not necessarily true, Korra. Even _I_ didn't know about what happened during the battle with Ozai, but you seem to have a pretty good handle on Aang's involvement in the fight that day. Besides, even if that _was_ true, I'd still like to hear what you have to say."

"Um… okay…" She dropped her sight and twiddled her thumbs. "Avatar Aang was an Air Bender born before the start of the Hundred Year War. He was told he was the Avatar at age 12, when Sozin was in reign of the Fire Nation. He disappeared for one hundred years and was found in an iceberg by _you_." She locked onto Katara. "You pretty much know the rest."

"Do you know what happened? Before Sokka and I found him?"

"I –" Her thoughts flashed out of her control. She was surrounded by rain, stuck in a horrible storm. Waves crashed around her, threatening to consume her. Her pale, blue-tattooed hands were in her peripherals, gripping onto the reigns of the animal below her.

The _sky bison_ below her.

She grimaced and curled into herself, a horrible pain erupting in her skull when she crashed into the sea below her.

Kya and Katara shared a look of concern.

"Korra, are you –"

"I don't know what happened to him," she growled, hoping her lie would force the flashes of her dream away. "He disappeared. That's – that's all I know. All I remem –"

 _Korra._

She yelped to another shock; whatever this was, it didn't appreciate her deceit.

"Korra," Katara was by her side, a hand on her shoulder. She waited until the woman calmed down and met her eyes before continuing. "Are you okay?"

Korra noticed Kya in the corner of her sight as she breathed, struggling to gain her composure. She looked away, receding into herself. A soft palm slipped into hers.

"Come with me, Korra." Katara pulled her to her feet. She held her hand for the entirety of their walk across the common room.

Kya rose to follow, but her mother stopped her.

"Stay here, Kya. I think Korra and I need some time alone."

She didn't have time to respond; the pair was already out the door into the next room over.

(-)

"It's up here, to your right." Tonraq called through a dry voice; the wind had gotten worse and his throat was getting sore. He wanted nothing more than to shield his eyes from the cold gusts, but his fear of flying off the back of the speeding polar bear dog if he let go of the saddle overpowered this urge.

They had made short work of the journey to Harbor City. Well, at least shorter than it would have been _walking_. Even though Naga was quite fast – especially in this terrain – the gales slowed them down much more than Asami expected.

She squeezed and loosened the reigns in her palms, trying to keep feeling in her fingers. While she had her original outfit from Republic City on _and_ Korra's parka, it wasn't quite enough to keep her from freezing in this wind. She leaned forward, trying to reduce the amount of her torso that was exposed to the elements.

Naga ran faster to the motion.

The trio dashed across the icy roads, dodging the few pedestrians who bothered to be out in this weather. When they reached what Asami could recognize by the door alone as a garage, the polar bear dog came to a halt.

"Good job, Naga." She slid off of the animal, almost falling in the process; her legs were sore and unaccustomed to the position they were stuck in while riding on the back of Naga.

Tonraq jumped down and fished a key from his pocket. He unlocked the entrance and forced the half-frozen door open with Water Bending. He waved the pair on to follow him.

Asami held onto part of Naga's harness out of habit. They slipped into the garage before Tonraq sealed the exit.

Naga shook herself out and searched for the warmest spot in the dark room.

Tonraq rummaged for the light switch and flicked it on. Three very weak bulbs lit up, revealing several black and blue snowmobiles. Some of them were iced over from inactivity. Others were missing whole pieces to them, like the windshields, tracks, skis, and even an engine cover. There were two that looked to be in working condition at first glance. When circling to the back, though, one of them was missing many of the pulleys it needed for the gear system underneath. It almost looked as if something slashed the mechanism out.

"What the hell happened?"

"To which one?" He crossed his arms as he joined Asami's side.

" _All_ of them."

"They each have their own story," Tonraq glazed over as he grabbed the handle bar of the most intact-looking vehicle. "I believe this is our last operational snowmobile." He tested the ignition. With a few sputters, the engine roared to life.

Asami scanned the almost barren room, holding her elbows to the cold. Everything in the Southern Water Tribe seemed to be left frigid when no one was using it.

 _I suppose it saves on wood and power._

She shook her head back into focus. Her eyes fell on a small wooden cabinet on the wall opposite of her. "Is this where you keep the tools?"

Tonraq shut the engine off and nodded. "We don't have much here, but we try to get by with what we have."

Asami crossed over and pulled the doors open. There was an array of various wrenches, fuel oil cans, and other types of equipment. "Do you have any spare parts," she called over her shoulder as she delved through the shelves. Though the tools were cold and somewhat unfamiliar to her – due to their age and rust – her fingers rejoiced with each bit that they touched. _This_ was her element. She didn't need to control water or shoot fire from her hands. She built things. She _fixed_ things; that's just what she did.

And that's what she planned to do here, in this freezing garage.

"Spare parts? No, we don't have any of those."

She pieced through the small boxes, setting aside several of the wrenches she knew she would need. "Where did you even get these snowmobiles from? Future Industries doesn't have a line of them, and I doubt Cabbage Corp. would be clever enough to build something like this." Asami gathered the equipment and walked over to the vehicles.

"There are more industries than just the two in Republic City, you know." He met her halfway and took some of the tools from her arms. "These were provided by a local businessman. A guy named Varrick."

"If he's local, why doesn't he service his own products?" She spoke with bitterness, unappreciative of the poor customer service.

"Who knows what he's up to these days. He left quite some time ago to 'expand his global empire'." He frowned, agreeing with the distaste that Asami expressed. "Really, he's off somewhere on his yacht, gallivanting around while his assistant manages the shipping portion of his company."

Asami set the tools beside one of the broken snowmobiles with a clunk. She pulled the parka off of her torso and tossed it aside; she didn't want to get Korra's only coat covered in oil and grease. She dropped to her knees and started inspecting the vehicle. "Clearly, they should focus on shipping if they can't even service their products. And if he's so rich and powerful, why doesn't he help the Southern Water Tribe out? Especially after all of the destruction that's been going on from the storms." Her cold fingers struggled to unscrew the engine cover.

"Some people aren't as philanthropic with their money as others. _His_ ships weren't damaged during the storms, and to him, if his business isn't threatened, then he doesn't give a damn." He knelt beside Asami, observing what she was doing. "If anything, the destruction of our boats _helped_ his company by reducing competition." Tonraq scoffed, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Not that there really is any competition. Our traders aren't looking to capitalize global trade. We're just looking to _survive_."

Asami frowned. "That just doesn't seem right." She popped the engine cover off and fiddled with the mechanism inside. "People shouldn't have to live that way."

"And how do you explain the economic classes in Republic City, then? Is it really all that different?" Tonraq rose and paced over to the functional snow mobile. "Not everyone can be born into wealth and not have to work a day in their life to sustain themselves. They don't have to worry about struggling to be fed like the rest of us."

A scowl crossed her face; she took offense to the indirect accusation. She set the wrench down on the ground and faced him, a bit of fire in her eyes.

 _Asami, calm down. He doesn't know anything about you, remember._

"That's not the case with every person in Republic City. My father lived in poverty when he was growing up and he, too, was dirt poor like the rest of the people in his community. He was a shoe shiner before he got a loan to start Future Industries." She shifted her weight to her other foot and crossed her arms. "He worked his _ass_ off to get where he is today. And just because I was lucky enough to be the daughter of a successful industrialist doesn't mean that _I_ don't work hard either."

 _Asami, relax. Breathe._

"Have you ever starved, Asami? And I don't mean these past few days." He walked up to her, intensity in his eyes as well. "Do you know what it's like to come home empty handed from a hunt and watch your family ache without a meal? Or was your dinner always brought to you by your servants in your _mansion_?" There was a sting in his voice as he spoke. "Has your father ever watched his child go hungry and know there was nothing he could do about it?"

"No, he hasn't." She took a step forward, matching his glare. "But he _has_ watched his daughter cry with his dead wife – _her mother_ – in her arms, knowing there was nothing _he_ could do about it, if that's any consolation to _you_." Asami turned away, biting back her own tears. She returned to the snowmobile and cranked the wrench, yearning for the physical task to take her mind away from her internal torture.

Tonraq's face was in shock. "I – I had no idea, Asami."

"No, you _didn't_." She growled, using her own sleeve to wipe away some of the gunk stuck in the engine. "So maybe you shouldn't make assumptions about people until you get to know them." Asami brought her focus to the pulleys underneath and worked on aligning the tracks. She slid her flathead between the wheels and the assembly to remove the grime inside. "Even after all of that, my father still works hard to make Republic City a better place. He doesn't hoard all of his wealth like this Varrick guy seems to do, according to you. He shares his inventions with the world and his wealth with many charities and organizations in the City."

 _And his weapons with murderers._

Her hand slipped to the thought. The handle of the screwdriver smashed into her cheek. She muffled a profanity to the pain and picked it up again.

Tonraq was very quiet. As stubborn and hot-headed as he was, he knew he had done something wrong. The guilt battled with his curiosity. "How – how old were you? When you lost her…"

She stopped her work and sat up. Asami fiddled with the tool in her fingers, avoiding his eyes. "I was six. I heard it all happen. I saw the flames of the Fire Bender that killed her under my bedroom door. I'll never forget the face of the man that ran away after he murdered her." Her fidgeting stopped. Her peridots were empty as she stared at the floor, reminiscing the awful night. "She was still alive when I got to her, but only for a few seconds. They burned right into her throat and cracked her skull against the wall with their blast. She couldn't breathe. I looked into her crying eyes and saw the life leave them. There was nothing I could do to help her." She shut her lids, hoping to shut the memories away with it. The tears came back, as if she were right there beside her mother again. She fought to keep them from leaving her ducts. "I watched her die. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. I just… couldn't. She reached up and touched my cheek with her bloody hand before she slipped away. That's when my dad found us. He never got the chance to say goodbye, and I was in too much shock to say anything but 'mommy' over and over again."

An extreme weight fell upon his heart from her words. He could feel the devastation from her tone alone.

Asami took a breath to settle herself. She opened her eyes and kept them on the floor as she returned to her work. She needed this distraction, needed this all to escape her thoughts. Her hands were shaking, but she kept going regardless.

A palm on her shoulder stopped her.

She sat up and met the blues before her.

"I'm sure your mother would be proud of everything you and your father have done and accomplished, Asami."

 _Would she? If my father was helping murderers, would that warrant pride?_

 _He's not helping murderers. He made those devices to jumpstart Satomobiles, not to_ _kill_ _people._

 _He's not a killer?_

 _He's_ _not_ _a killer._

 _Are you sure? Or are you just too deep in denial to think otherwise?_

Asami didn't know when she started crying, but she wanted it to stop. She wiped her tears away as quick as she could.

It didn't stop Tonraq from embracing her.

"I'm sorry, Asami. You have a kind heart, and you've been watching out for my daughter since day one, according to what Korra has told me about you in her letter." He released her but kept his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I've been hard on you. I've said rude things to you. And you don't deserve that. If anything, I should be grateful for you. You've taken care of Korra, you've helped us _find_ her, and you got us all the way here to the Southern Water Tribe. Even now, you're helping us with the snowmobiles." He paused, trying to find the words to say. "Thank-you, Asami Sato. Thank-you."

She nodded and looked away. A faint smile was on her lips as she pulled away from Tonraq. She returned to the snowmobile, just wanting to get it fixed so she could move onto the next diversion from her thoughts.

Tonraq watched on, a mixture of feelings spreading through him.

(-)


	25. Broken

Hello all! Had some time to update, so here's another chapter of History. If you read my Korrasami month fic, I'm going to try to update either tonight or tomorrow ^_^

In the meantime, let the angst continue!

I mean...

*hides*

(-)

Chapter 25

 **Broken**

Katara led her into a dark room, the area lit by two small oil-lamps in the corners. There were two circular windows between them, their curtains closed to keep out the sun. "Do you remember the last time you were here, Korra?"

She looked around, her eyes falling on the small pool in the center. Her heart sunk into her chest. "I do. My dad brought me here to see if I was sick. He thought the reason I couldn't Water Bend was because I was ill." Korra clenched her fists, fire in her eyes. "But he was _wrong_. So was my mother. I'm not a late bloomer. I'm not sick. I'm _not_ a Water Bender." She crossed her arms and looked away.

 _No, you're just a Fire Bender._

"Shut _up_." She growled, closing her eyes to fight her thoughts.

Katara raised an eyebrow to her ferocity. She put a hand on Korra's shoulder. "You know you can tell me _anything_ , right?"

Korra slouched and turned to her. There was sadness in her eyes and hesitation in her voice. "Why am I so… _broken_?"

She reciprocated the look. "Why do you think you're broken, Korra?"

"Because I am!" She threw her arms up in frustration, pulling away from Katara. Korra put her back to the woman, her head high in anger. It melted away in an instant from her overwhelming guilt. "I'm – I'm sorry, Master Katara. I didn't mean to yell."

"Come sit with me, Korra." She walked over to a bench under one of the windows and sat.

Korra followed her and plopped into the spot beside her.

"Talk to me. Get it all out. You're safe here."

She leaned forward and buried her fingers into her brown hair. She rested her elbows on her knees and inhaled. "I don't even know where to start."

"When did you begin feeling this way? Like you were broken?"

Korra shut her lids to think. She'd like to think it was one of the first times she heard the voice, when she was with Urkoma in the hospital. But she knew better. She knew, in the crevices of her being, that it ran deeper than that, dug down into years and years of her past. It might have been buried, it might have been repressed, but it was _there_ , and it was what drove her to abandon everything she knew for a chance at something better. "When I ran away. That was the first time." She rubbed her temple, forcing away her foggy recollection of the voice calling her name. "It's gotten worse since then. Last semester… Now... Everything is just so messed up, Master Katara."

She rubbed a hand on Korra's back, trying to ease her pain. "What made you feel broken back then?"

"Which time?" She sat up and crossed her arms, her eyes on the floor. "When I ran away? I felt like a failure. I couldn't Water Bend. My parents argued about it, talked about me like I wasn't there. But I was _there_. I could hear them. I was _there!_ " The memory of her slamming her sparked fist into the stone column flashed in front of her. It sent an ache up her right arm and a horrible pain through her skull. She grimaced and folded inward, grasping at her scalp.

"Korra?" Katara held onto Korra's shoulders, trying to get her upright.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Korra pulled away in her stubbornness and averted her gaze.

"When did these migraines start?"

"A – A few days ago. Maybe a little over a week? I've lost track of the days, to be honest. Ever since –" she gritted her teeth against the pulse.

"Since when?"

"I was in an earth prison. I ran into a gang in Republic City and they robbed me. I didn't really sleep that night and there was a storm. This guy saved me – I don't know who he was – but he rescued me, and from there on, everything is just really… fuzzy. I walked places. I swam. I – I remember a statue, a huge one."

"Have you been having nightmares, Korra?"

She met her blue irises and bobbed her head. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Katara nodded. "Our bodies don't lie to us. When we're tired, it shows, even when we try to hide it."

"What about when we're crazy?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Do you think you're crazy, Korra?"

"No." Korra looked away and sighed. "Maybe. I don't know anymore. All these nightmares and things I can't remember and the pain whenever I try to and –" She flinched and rubbed her temples.

"Come with me, Korra." She rose and led the swaying brunette to the small pool. "Step inside, would you?"

"Okay." Korra tossed her boots and pelt off with an absent mind, as well as her socks, leaving everything else on as she slipped in. The water was just as cold as she remembered.

"Just sit back and relax." Katara lifted her hands and swirled them, making the liquid glow around Korra. "Close your eyes, and try to ease your mind."

She did as she was told. At least, she _tried_ to. She shut her lids and took deep breaths, but her mind was too focused on keeping the horrible thoughts and memories at bay to _actually_ calm down.

"You're still tense."

"What are you doing to me?"

"Examining your body."

"Why?" She opened her eyes and stared at Katara. The liquid around her was still glowing.

"To see if there is any way I can relieve these headaches of yours. Then it might be easier for you to get through this."

Korra curled into herself as she sat on the cement seat in the pool. "What if I can't? What if this won't go away?"

"Trust yourself, Korra. Trust in your instincts and your heart. I know you'll overcome this. You've been close to death before and have been victorious against it. I have no doubt that you'll be able to do the same now."

"Am I going to _die_ from this?" She stood up, water dripping from her torso.

Katara stopped Bending. The fluid returned to its clear state. "You're not going to die, Korra. I was just giving you an example of when you've persevered." She stepped closer to Korra and put a hand on her shoulder. "I believe in you. And I have hope in you. You _can_ do this."

Korra looked away and stared at the almost-still water surrounding her shins. Though her reflection was wavy, it stared back at her. She was tired and it showed. Tired of not sleeping. Tired of the pain. Tired of _everything._ She met her oceans as a tear fell down her right cheek. "I don't want to do this anymore. I want it all to stop."

"Then I will do everything in my power to help you, Korra."

She nodded and lowered herself into the pool. She positioned herself against the cement shelf, leaning her head back on the stone edge. Her lids touched and she focused on her breathing. Her mind went rampant, cycling through various images and pictures that made her body writhe and her heart pound.

 _Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Nice. Even. In. Out._

The returning glow of the water faded through the darkness of her shut eyes. She could feel some of it swirl around her. The cold crept in, almost as if it were touching her core.

 _In. Out. In. Out._

Her thoughts faded into black with each breath. Her limbs loosened.

"That's it, Korra. Open yourself up. Let me in. Let me help you."

She didn't know what that meant, so she just continued descending into stillness, allowing the blackness to consume her.

Silence.

Her ears picked up only the gentle sloshing of the water around her. Even that slowed to a miniscule current.

Katara was inside of her, feeling her energy.

What she found was a massive, tumultuous battle. There were pools and slurries and squalls and hurricanes. Every time she tried to grab onto a piece of the young woman's chi, it would snap back at her, almost attacking her own internal flux.

And each time she tried to grab onto a piece, Korra flinched in pain.

Korra could feel it, too, just as she had a sense of it with Urkoma in the hospital. But it was much worse this time. It almost felt like she was being pulled apart, at war between herself and herself. A physical and spiritual conflict manifesting in her mind.

That's where it was the worst.

Every attempt to calm her chi brought back another memory, each one laced with the voice calling her name.

It was becoming too much for her.

"Korra, I'm going to move you into the water more. Your head will be partly submerged, but you'll be steady and floating so you can breathe." Katara used Water Bending to glide her into the pool.

Just as she said, her body drifted, her face poking out of the surface for air.

Katara moved her focus to Korra's mind. It was a delicate procedure, one that required the utmost focus and gentleness; one wrong move, and Korra could lose the ability to walk or talk or touch or see or remember. She kneeled beside the pool and closed her eyes, targeting the energy inside Korra's brain.

The flashes and images became more vivid, more detailed.

She could see the wind blow through the sky bison's fur in the storm. Taste the saltiness of the Southern Sea as she plummeted into it. Smell the smoke and ash around her as the poisonous gas and heat suffocated her. Hear the explosion of more and more magma behind her in a never-ending pool. Feel the earth rumble under her as she Bent it away, cracking an entire peninsula off the mainland with her energy alone.

The voice called to her, each repetition getting louder and louder.

 _Korra._

 _Korra._

 _Korra._

Her limbs were convulsing. Sweat poured from her exposed skin. She couldn't take much more of this torture.

Katara was struggling to intermingle with the chi in Korra's mind and body, _despite_ being the best Healer in the Southern Water Tribe, if not the entire _world_. She tried to direct her own chi to coincide with Korra's and the water's, attempting to calm the swirling whirlpools inside of her. Katara spread her arms, hoping to grab onto _any_ amount of energy in _any_ part of Korra's being. She lifted her hands up, her elbows quivering from the skirmish, her brow furrowed in concentration. Sweat dripped from under her gray hair. She gritted her teeth and fought the best she could.

But she couldn't do it.

She collapsed onto her hands and knees, the water and Korra's energy falling with it.

Korra surged back to reality, jumping upright with a scream. She clutched the sides of the pool, her entire body shaking from the experience. She panted and laid her head against the cold stone, knowing this was a failure.

"Mom?! Mom, are you alright?"

Korra looked up to see Kya kneeling next to her mother. Her hands were tight on Katara's shoulders.

Katara straightened and stared deep into Korra's eyes, a mixture of emotion radiating from her own.

Korra didn't know what to do. Her heart sunk from the expression on her lifelong friend's face. She wanted to run, to run far away and never have anyone deal with her again.

Never hurt anyone again.

Never feel this pain again.

So she did.

Or at least, she _tried_ to.

"Oh no, you don't."

Before she could flee, her right leg was frozen to the ground. She almost crashed into the floor from the halting motion. She twisted the best she could and met Kya's scowl.

"Kya, let her go. I'm fine."

"She did something to you, mom. She's not just going to leave. I won't let her."

Katara pushed herself up and spread her fingers out.

The ice around Korra's leg melted in an instant. She smashed into the stone with a grunt.

"Korra's going through a lot of pain right now, Kya. She's afraid." Katara crossed the room and knelt beside her, offering her hand in the process.

Korra stared at the palm in front of her, hesitant and – as much as she didn't want to admit it – afraid. She lifted her own shaking fingers up to Katara and gripped her wrist.

She helped Korra to her feet and brought her to the bench. She sat Korra down and put her upright. "Breathe. Gather yourself."

She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to ease the throbbing in her skull.

"What's going on, mom?"

Katara turned to her daughter and put her hands behind her back. "Korra has been going through a lot. Her energy… it's very twisted and confused and – _powerful_." She faced the younger woman, eyed her, and returned to Kya. "I need your help."

(-)

"You should probably be getting to the people in your group right now."

"Aren't you coming, Asami?"

"No." She sat up from the snowmobile she was working on, already acquiring a few grease and oil smudges on her cheeks and clothes. "I'm going to stay here and try to fix as many of these as I can, using _that_ one for spare parts," she pointed to the vehicle that was missing the back half of its body with her wrench. "The more I can get up and running, the better off you'll be in the long run." She returned to her work, enjoying the challenge of the new machinery and the distraction it provided.

"One snowmobile isn't going to be enough to get the wood hauled and the people back to safety."

"Then take some tools and fix the two that are out there." Her tone was a bit harsher than it had to be.

 _Don't assume that he just knows how to fix them._

 _And don't assume that he doesn't._

"Or you could make multiple trips. Take Naga with you."

The polar bear dog perked up in the corner upon hearing her name. She trotted over to Tonraq and Asami, tail wagging.

"How will you get back, then?"

She emerged from under the vehicle and wiped her brow. "I'll take one of these when I fix it." She switched out her tools and slid right back to the belly of the snowmobile. "If you can't get the snowmobiles started out in the forest, bring everyone else and the wood back. I'll head out there and service them if I can."

Tonraq didn't like this idea. He could hear the wind howling and picking up speed in the silence that fell between them. A storm was coming. A _bad_ one. And Asami was already having problems adapting to the cold; he feared that she wouldn't make it through the next storm if she was out there alone.

"Asami –"

"You're wasting time. The sooner you get out there, the sooner we can get the snowmobiles fixed and get everyone back to safety before the storm hits."

There was a tad bit of shock on his face. "You can hear the wind, too?"

"No, actually, I can't." She pushed herself from the propped machinery and sat up. "I don't actually know why I can tell that there's a storm coming, but I can. It's like a –" she met his eyes, "like a gut feeling. Like something's wrong."

Naga whimpered and lowered her head, her tail pausing against the stone.

"I'll be fine here, Tonraq. It won't take me long to get these up to repair. After that, I'll head over as soon as I can. If the weather gets too bad, I'll bunker down until it's over." When her words didn't convince him, she crawled to her feet and approached him, wiping her wrench clean with her coat as she did so. "I'll be fine. I can handle myself." She maintained her hold on his irises. "Now go. They need you. The longer you wait, the worse it's going to get."

He sighed. "You're right. Come on, Naga." He walked over to the working snowmobile and grabbed its handles. Naga followed with a bit of sadness in her posture. "We'll be back as soon as we can be, Asami."

She nodded and returned to her work, determined to make as many of these vehicles run as she can.

Tonraq eyed her before he left, a mixture of concern and _admiration? –_ he couldn't quite piece it together – in his heart. "Let's go, Naga." He muttered, strapping a small toolbox down to the back and bringing the snowmobile to life. They sped out of the garage, the door shutting behind them with a heavy clang.

Asami didn't mind. In fact, she couldn't care less. She was in her element, and right now, it was her and these broken snowmobiles.

These broken snowmobiles and this broken engineer.

(-)


	26. Overwhelmed

Another update! Whomp!

(-)

Chapter 26

 **Overwhelmed**

She lost track of time.

Not that Asami cared, to be honest.

She was in no rush to head back to Tonraq's home and socialize. While she _did_ want to get out to those stalled snowmobiles to see if they were broken, she wasn't a fool; she could hear the wind getting worse as it slammed into the garage. Even with the clinking of her tools, the sound of the snow flurries pounding against the dinged up metal door of this little building in Harbor City radiated into her ears.

Asami had gotten through two snowmobiles already, using the salvaged parts from the half-missing vehicle to restore the machines the best she could. While one of them was a bit rickety as it ran, it was _running_ , and that's all she needed for now; she could work on improving their basic functions once she repaired as many as she could.

She was working on her fourth now, having skipped the third because she couldn't _quite_ figure out what was wrong with it. She needed a different problem, a simpler problem, to ease her mind and work her way up to the larger mystery.

More integral to her: she needed a distraction.

She needed to be busy, to keep her cold, shaking hands moving, to keep her mind occupied and her clothes dirty with old oil and grease. So she took her time. She ran over every damn inch of these vehicles to make sure they were up to her initial standard. She even took one of them apart _just_ to see all of the pieces inside and how they worked in unison. And, of course, she put it back together without a bolt out of place.

What worried her was that she was running out of things to fix.

There were only a few more snowmobiles waiting to be repaired, and she knew that once they were done, she'd be left alone with her thoughts again.

This was something she didn't want.

A pipe in the wall creaked as she worked. The room seemed to get colder as it sucked away her body heat. She wished, just for a moment, that she hadn't woken up this morning, that she was right back under that wolf pelt, lying next to Korra in a comfortable slumber.

 _Korra._

Her stomach turned and it felt as though her heart flipped in a somersault.

 _I hope she's okay and not in this storm._

 _Like she was the last time she ran away?_

She tightened another screw, though the rotation lost a bit of steam.

 _You don't think she'd run away again, do you?_

 _No. She's finally home, and she seemed pretty happy about it._

 _Yeah. She did…_

There was a pause.

 _Are you going to stay in the Southern Water Tribe forever?_

Her hand stopped.

 _What do you mean?_

 _Are you going to stay with Korra's family here forever?_

 _I've only been here for a day._

 _I know that. That wasn't the question._

 _I – I don't know._

 _Will you ever go back to Republic City again?_

 _I don't_ _know_ _. I – I don't want to think about Republic City right now._

She returned to her twisting, trying to push the thoughts away.

 _You'll go wherever she goes, won't you?_

Asami stopped again.

 _I – I'm not sure. I don't know. Why are you asking?_

 _Because what if she never wants to leave the Southern Water Tribe? Are you going to stay here forever with her?_

 _I told you already; I don't_ _know_ _._ She went back to her work. _So you can stop asking._

 _What if she went back to the Fire Nation? Would you go with her then?_

She grumbled and exchanged her tools. _I don't_ _know_ _what I'm doing, okay? I just want to work on these snowmobiles in peace._

 _Fine._

The silence between the perspectives in her head didn't last for long.

 _What if she's out there, looking for you? What if she got back home and started worrying about you after Tonraq told her where you were and she was trying to get through the storm to reach you?_

 _Then I'll just have to wait for her to get here, won't I?_

 _What if she doesn't make it?_

Asami stopped working and sat up. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow and stared at the wall, fighting to keep her heart afloat. She closed her eyes and inhaled to calm herself. "Korra's fine," she whispered to herself. When her lids separated, her exhaustion became apparent. She shook her head to wake herself and returned to the snowmobile, eager to silence the turmoil within.

(-)

The tempest raged on in the background. She switched the ignition of the final snowmobile and it hummed to life. A smile of satisfaction crossed her lips.

 _There. Done. All of them are fixed except –_

She glanced over her shoulder at the disassembled half-snowmobile in the corner. Most of its pieces were missing, either from her use in the other vehicles or their mysterious disappearance from whatever caused the second half of the machine to vanish. Asami shut the engine off and plopped onto the seat. She cracked her knuckles and rubbed her eyes with the back of her dirty gloves.

 _Well, now what?_

 _I could always –_

 _You don't get a say. At_ _all_ _._ She shut that part of herself down right away before it could start more fights inside of her.

Asami crawled off of the vehicle and meandered over to the window, yawning as she did so.

All she could see was white.

Snow swirled in front of her, the sky hidden behind the storm clouds above. The wind was ferocious enough to force a small amount of cold through the sealed pane.

 _Looks like I'm staying here for the night._

Asami wasn't a fool; this was uncharted territory for her. She wasn't about to go wandering around in a blizzard, trying to make her way back to Korra's house – even if she _did_ take a snowmobile to do so. On a _clear_ day, she would probably have trouble getting to where she needed to go. It wasn't like her travels through the storms in Republic City: the terrain was different, for one, as was the weather and her intentions. Not to mention she _knew_ where to go in the great metropolis.

Still, the final destination had always been the same: Korra.

She sighed and put her head against the glass. Her lids touched as the fatigued crept in. A faint shiver crawled up her skin. Asami removed herself from the window and scanned the room. There were no pelts or anything of the sort she could use to keep herself warm. The cabinets held only old tools and a few drawings. She dragged her feet to Korra's parka and stared at it. As much as she didn't want to dirty it with her greasy clothes, she was _cold_. Cold and tired.

Asami apologized to the absent Southerner under her breath and slipped the coat on. She found the warmest corner – the one furthest away from the door and the window – and huddled up on the ground for warmth. She eyed the pieces of the destroyed snowmobile with curiosity.

 _Maybe I can make a contained fire. I have some fuel oil left._

 _That won't last long. And without a vent, you'll poison yourself with carbon monoxide. Come on, Asami; you took chemistry, you_ _know_ _these things._

 _Chemistry…_

She exhaled and thought of her time at the University with Korra, when things were simple… for the short amount of time that they _had_ been. She recalled the meals they shared as her stomach growled, and the warmth of Korra on her back when she held her at night. Her heat dropped into a sea of nostalgia.

 _But remember what happened after those times? Korra got hurt._ _Really_ _hurt._

 _I know. It doesn't mean I don't miss the good moments. Now, with everything that's going on…_

 _So? You'll get through this. Both of you will. You're too strong and stubborn_ _not_ _to._

 _I suppose you're right._

 _Besides, you can make_ _new_ _good times. You're here, in the same general area as Korra. You have just as much opportunity to make those good times happen as you did before. You just have to take the time to try._

 _Not with this storm._

 _After_ _the storm, Asami. Spirits, you need sleep._

 _Yeah, sleep sounds nice…_

Though she was a bit hesitant about slumbering when she was _this_ cold, her fatigue didn't give her much of a choice in the matter. She slipped her gloved hands into the sleeves of the coat to keep them warm. Her lids shut and she huddled into herself, the hood of Korra's parka pulled over her head.

 _I hope she's not looking for me._

 _Why?_ Her opposing side held a large amount of confusion in its question.

Asami cracked her eyes opened and stared across the dim room to the blowing wind outside.

 _I don't want her to be out in_ _this_ _._

She sighed and rested her face against the wall.

 _I hope she's okay._

(-)

"Are you willing to try again, Korra?"

She rubbed her head and closed her eyes; everything around her swirled when she opened them. "Do you think you'll be able to get this to stop?"

"I can't guarantee anything," Katara stepped forward and sat beside the keeled-over Korra on the bench, "but Kya and I can at least try."

Korra took a deep, determined breath. "Let's do this." She tried to get up but the blood rush was too much.

Lucky for her, Kya was there to catch her.

"I've got you," she hauled the younger woman up to her shoulder. "Come on; let's get you back to the pool." She guided Korra to the center of the room and helped her into the water.

Katara Bent some of the water from the large tub until Korra's back touched the bottom. "Close your eyes and relax again. Let your head sink into as much water as you can without blocking your airway."

She nodded and did as she was told.

Katara started swirling the liquid around, making it glow in the process. "Let's start with some of your physical ailments. Your cuts and bruises. Your fatigue."

Her face was calm with the gentler wounds. But the deeper Katara got, the worse the pain became. She didn't feel like her exhaustion was being relieved at all. Pulses shot into her mind, but she fought the urge to curl up in retreat. She did, however, flinch and grimace. Her limbs tightened and her fists clenched.

Kya observed with a curious expression. "What do you _see_ , Korra?"

She gritted her teeth. "Images. They're… fuzzy. But I recognize them. I've seen them. In my – my dreams, before."

"Kya." Katara called her daughter over and motioned towards the pool.

Kya exchanged some of the liquid in the basin with fresh water from the vases nearby.

"I'm going to focus on a very small part of your energy, Korra. I'm going to try to soothe it. I need you to do your best to keep still and open up to me."

Korra bobbed her head, too focused on handling her pain to formulate words.

Both of the Healers moved together, each of them outstretching themselves and aligning their chi not only with each other, but with Korra. Their faces scrunched as they focused, trying to do everything they could to grab onto the small amount of swirling chi in Korra's chest.

"Easy, Kya. Be wary of the heart."

Her daughter narrowed her focus, shifting her arms in unison with her mother's.

It took every ounce of Korra's strength not to fight the Bending.

The memories hurt.

The pain hurt.

 _Everything_ hurt.

 _Just – hang – in – there. They're – it's going to – get – better._

 _Korra._ The voice called to her.

She started to back away and close up out of natural instinct – _fearful_ instinct.

"Stay with us, Korra. Just a moment more."

Sweat poured out of Korra. It dripped off the faces of the Water Benders outside of the pool as well.

 _Hang in there._

 _I can't._

 _You_ _can_ _. Just hang in there._

It was becoming too much for her. She found herself in the dark room with the broken glass, watching the images of different people reflect back at her. A piece of a man with a brown beard. The face paint of a Kyoshi Warrior. The white beard of an older Fire Bender.

 _Just hang – on –_

 _I can't._

She crawled over to the shards, bleeding and broken. She matched her eyes up to an image that was just as damaged as she was.

The pain overwhelmed her.

Korra screamed and curled into a ball, forcing her back to the Water Benders above her. The water crashed around her. The glow disappeared. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held her head, the rest of her limbs shaking. "I can't do it." She whispered to herself. "I can't do it."

Katara and Kya shared a look as they panted from the exertion. Kya took a step towards Korra and crouched at the edge of the pool.

 _Korra._

"Go away!" She hollered, shooting herself upright and punching the empty air in front of her. She aimed at nothing in particular, but hoped at that moment that her Fire Bending would just fly out of her knuckles and hit whatever kept making the voice call her in her head. When she collapsed onto the cement shelf – still facing away from the women behind her – she buried her face in her arms and whimpered. "Just leave me alone. Stop calling me. Stop talking to me. Stop saying my name. Just leave me _alone_!" She slammed her fist into the stone, crying out from the pain shooting up her arm.

Kya was in the water in an instant.

She walked over to the Korra and held her shoulder with one palm, the other rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay, Korra."

Korra buried herself into Kya and shook. "Why does this keep happening?"

" _What_ keeps happening?" Katara joined her other side, offering a similar embrace.

"The voice."

Katara and Kya glanced at each other.

"A voice, Korra?" Katara was a bit hesitant in her question.

She nodded. "Just one voice. There's only one. I'm _not_ crazy. I'm _not_."

"No one is saying you are. Come on; let's get you out of this pool." Kya helped Korra to her feet as gentle as she could.

She swayed and used Kya as a support.

Katara Bent their clothes dry and helped Korra to the common room. They placed her in front of the fire place and wrapped a fur around her torso. "Kya, would you go warm up our tea again? Korra needs fluids and warmth."

"Of course." She gathered the mugs and scurried out to reheat the beverages, eager to get back to the pair and help in whatever way she could.

Katara put a hand on Korra's back and rubbed it.

"I can't do it. It hurts. It hurts so much."

"Shhhh. Relax, Korra. It's okay. You'll get through this."

"No, I _won't_. I've been trying, Master Katara. Nothing is _working_. I've been trying _so much_."

"And I don't doubt that you won't keep trying. You're stubborn that way, just like your father, and just like me."

She shook her head. "That's not going to help. My head… it hurts."

A horrid gust slammed into the side of the house, shaking the entire room.

Korra cringed to another pulse of pain and rubbed her temples. "What am I supposed to do? I can't even remember what I – I –"

Kya returned with the steaming mugs and placed them on a table nearby. She joined Korra's other side and massaged her back in a similar manner as her mother.

"How long have you been hearing the voice for, Korra?"

She froze in her spot. Her heart dropped.

 _Just tell them the truth, Korra. Just… tell them._

"The first time I heard it was last semester, after I –"

 _Tell_ _them. Tell them about your Bending, and how you first remembered the voices during your healing. Just_ _tell_ _them._

"After I – I got into a fight. These guys jumped me. I got hurt really bad. I heard it then, after the fight."

 _Korra…_

Katara opened her mouth to speak, but Korra interrupted her.

"But that's not the first time. Not the _actual_ first time." She pushed herself to her unsteady feet and walked over to the window. The sky was filled with dark, snow heavy clouds that blocked out the sun. They leaked their contents in a torrential blast, making everything that she could see white. Visibility was non-existent. Gusts bashed into the abode, forcing even the house to sway under its mercy. "It's just the first time I remember _when_ it happened." She put her fingertips on the pane and took in the cold against her skin. The flurries worsened. Her mind flashed back to the blizzard she travelled through when she ran away as a younger teen. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, angling her face against the glass. "The first time the voice spoke to me was when I was unconscious in that snow bank. It called to me. Called my name as it _always_ does. But I didn't remember it until recently, until I got attacked. It hasn't stopped since then."

Katara joined her at the window and put a hand on her shoulder.

Korra turned to her, sadness in her oceans.

"Why don't you stay here for the night? This storm doesn't look like it's going to get any better."

She nodded in silence and wrapped the fur tighter around her torso. "Can I lie down for a while? I just… I'm so tired."

"Of course you can. Kya, can you help her to the guest room?"

She bobbed her head and slipped her arm under Korra's shoulder. "Let's get you some rest, kiddo."

They left the common room and meandered down the hallway nearby. Kya pushed the door open and led Korra to the small bed in the corner of the quarters.

Korra collapsed onto the mattress, not even bothering to get her entire body onto the bed. In an instant, she was fast asleep.

Kya adjusted her limbs until she was slumbering in a safe position. She wrapped the pelt around her and took a few steps back, observing her work.

Katara joined her side and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Their eyes met, each one laced with a different level of concern.

"This shouldn't be happening, mom. I've never seen anything like this. It's so…severe."

"I know."

"We have to help her."

"I don't know if we can. But we'll try." Katara turned to Korra. "We have to."

They glanced at the unconscious woman once more. The storm raged outside, whistling songs of its appearance to keep its victims company. After a minute or two, they departed, heaviness in their hearts.

(-)


	27. A new approach

Chapter 27

 **A new approach**

Korra struggled to open her eyes. If she had any dreams, she didn't remember them. While her sleep had been uneventful, it hadn't quite cured her exhaustion. Lessened, yes, but it still lingered in the cracks and crevices of her body. A small amount of sun shone down on her face through the slip in the curtains. She forced her crusty lids apart and yawned as she rolled onto her back. After a quick stretch, she pushed her groggy torso upright. Her hands rubbed her face to help her wake. With another extension of her legs, she was out of the bed. Korra meandered over to the window and peeked outside. There wasn't a single storm cloud in the sky, though the snow had piled up a few feet. The scent of something fresh filled her nose. Her stomach grumbled. She abandoned the circular pane and followed the aroma in a half-asleep state.

"Good morning, Korra." Katara greeted her from the small table in the kitchen. She had a cup of tea between her palms and a gentle grin on her face.

Korra smiled back and sat across from her. She folded her hands on the top and stifled another yawn.

"How are you feeling?"

She shook her head and stared at her fingers. She noticed the knuckles on her right hand were no longer bruised thanks to the healing last night. "Not all that great. I slept alright, but I'm still tired. And I still feel… _weird_ , inside."

"Tell me about it."

"Well," she locked onto Katara's eyes, "it almost feels like something is buzzing. Buzzing and swirling and it's all just…" She looked away. "Confusing." That wasn't the word she _wanted_ to use. If anything, she felt broken inside, just like that glass from her dreams. Korra grimaced to the small amount of pain that leaked into her mind.

"Kya and I did pick up quite a bit of energy fluctuation inside of you. More than quite a bit, to be honest."

She returned her focus to Katara's face. "What kind of fluctuations?"

"All sorts of them. There were eddies and shocks and tangles. There's a lot of turmoil within you, isn't there?"

Korra fiddled with her thumbs. "It certainly feels like it."

"There's more than that." Katara reached over and held the back of Korra's hands. She closed her eyes and focused, as if she were reading Korra's insides. "Something has thrown your chi off. A _lot_ of things, actually. It's never been so hard for me and Kya to reach out and try to grab someone's energy before."

She pulled her hands away and held her elbows, shrinking into the chair. "What am I supposed to do, Master Katara? I've tried to piece everything together, but the images keep slipping away from me. You two are the greatest Healers in the world. And if _you_ can't help me…" She turned her head and gazed at the floor, sorrow in her voice. "What am I going to do? How am I going to get better?"

Katara examined the woman before her. "Perhaps we've been taking the wrong path to all of this. We need a new approach."

This got Korra's attention. She met the blue irises with a hint of excitement in her own. "You have an idea?"

"I _always_ have ideas, Korra. Some of them, I'll need time to mull over. But for now, this is what I want you to do." Katara rose from her seat and Bent a mug full of tea. She brought the steaming cup over to her guest and placed it in her hands. "First, drink some of this. It will help you relax."

She raised an eyebrow and glanced into the liquid. Korra lifted it up to her nose to take in its aroma. "Is this special tea? Will it help me get better?" She squinted at the fluid, observing its mostly-clear color with suspicion.

Katara chuckled. "No, no, it's just a simple herbal tea. Nothing exotic."

Korra frowned for a split second before chugging the hot beverage. "What now?"

"Now, I get you a second cup, and you take your _time_ drinking it." She Bent more tea into the mug. "Like I said, it's not some sort of healing elixir. It's just tea."

"Right. Just tea. Got it." She took a sip and closed her eyes. "Why is it making me _feel_ better, though?"

"Because it's taking your mind _off_ of things instead of forcing you to focus _on_ them."

She raised her brow in confusion. "I don't think I follow."

"Korra, when was the last time you did something fun?"

"Something fun?" She set her mug down and crossed her arms, her face scrunched in thought.

 _Well, hanging out with Asami was fun. Then she went home, and things got…_

 _Lonely?_

 _Lonely. Yeah._

She frowned inside.

 _Then I got the letters. That wasn't very fun._

 _Then you ran away._

 _Then I ran away._

She let out an internal sigh.

 _I got food with Yezi. Met Ahyoka. Got attacked by the Triple Threats…_

She scanned her memories, trying to find a good moment.

 _Then…_

Fuzzy.

 _Then all that stuff happened._

She recalled her journey to and through the Fire Nation to the best of her ability. Korra refused to think of anything that would cause her additional mental pain and let the bleary images flow into her sight. Her time spent at Air Temple Island fluttered into her focus. While there were some smiling moments, none of them felt particularly fun or relaxing. It wasn't until she _left_ the Island that she felt her first bit of real joy.

"Flying on Oogi was pretty exciting," she murmured to herself, lost in her thoughts.

"You took a ride on Oogi?" Katara pulled Korra from her contemplation. "How did you come about doing that?"

Korra froze, a hint of embarrassment in her expression. "I – uh – went to Air Temple Island. It wasn't too long ago."

"That must be why Tenzin didn't mention it in his last letter." She sat back in her chair and smiled. "How did you like your first ride on a sky bison?"

"It was _amazing_. One of the coolest things I've ever done."

Something tugged at her. A brief image from her dream in the storm came to mind, as if riding on Oogi wasn't actually her _first_ time she rode a bison.

 _That wasn't_ _real_ _riding, though. It was just a dream._

"Have you done anything fun between then and now?"

Korra finished her mug of tea and concentrated. "Being with Naga. That made me happy again. And spending time with Asami." She muttered with a somewhat-absent mind. Her cheeks reddened when she thought of the engineer. It forced her to look away.

" _Asami_ , huh?" Katara smiled, an eyebrow raised, as she sipped her tea.

Korra caught her tone and when she caught her face, her blush worsened. "We're _just friends_."

"I never said you weren't." She set her mug down and Bent more tea into both of their cups from her chair.

"'Cause we aren't friends – no, we're friends, we just – aren't more than – friends. Just… friends…" She wanted to throw herself into the ocean out of mortification.

"Tell me about her."

Korra's tongue got stuck in her throat. "I – uh – well… You have the letter I sent my dad, I'm sure you know plenty about her."

"I didn't read your entire letter out of respect for your privacy."

 _Dammit, Master Katara, why are you so considerate?_

"Well, um – she's…" Her face was burning. She tried to drink some tea but only choked on it.

"It's pretty obvious that you have feelings for her."

"I – what? _What?_ No, no I – I don't – she's – we –"

"Korra, you're not doing yourself any favors by denying it."

"I –" She sighed and lowered her head. "You're right." She took another sip and opened up. "It's weird, Master Katara. I – I know I've been feeling _something_ for her for a while now. And everything was fine. _I_ was fine, _we_ were fine… But ever since we've been apart I've – I've missed her. _A_ _lot_. And now that we're together again, it's like I can't even talk straight or look at her without blushing and turning into a complete fool." Korra threw her hands up in frustration and crossed her arms afterwards into a slouching pout.

"Sometimes, when people are separated, it gives them a chance to miss each other. It's then that we start to realize just how much we love them."

"Did you ever feel that way with Master Aang?"

"Absolutely. There were times when he would be in Republic City and I would be here with the kids and really just start to miss him. I missed the adventures we would go on, missed being by his side to solve the world's problems." She looked away from Korra and stared out the window. Her hand wandered up to the blue-carved charm around her neck. She traced the pattern with her fingers as she had done a thousand times in the past. "I suppose it's better to be grateful for those times when you're apart and you _know_ that they'll return, because there will come a time in your life, Korra, where people stop coming back."

Korra frowned and reached out to Katara's free hand. She clasped it.

Katara met her oceans, surprised at the amount of warmth radiating from Korra's skin. "I'm glad you're here, Korra. And that you're alive."

She smiled. It was a gentle grin, not unlike the one Katara had greeted her with this morning. "Me, too."

Katara took another sip of her tea, freeing herself from Korra's grip. "Now, tell me about Asami. I have yet to meet her."

"Asami? She's –" She couldn't even think of one word to describe the engineer; a hundred different adjectives flew through her mind, all fitting the woman in some way, shape, or form. "She's amazing. She's smart, strong, creative, funny, generous, beautiful… she's absolutely perfect. Or, at least, she is to me. We've had our bad times together, and we each have flaws, but every time I'm with her, I just feel… better." Korra looked away, a stupid grin and a stinging blush on her cheeks. "She brings out the best in me. Sometimes, I can't stop thinking about her." She put her elbows on the table and held her head. "I've never felt like this about anyone before. It's so confusing at times." She sighed, unable to stop the burning on her face.

"Did you meet her at the University?"

She nodded. "She was in my chemistry class with me. And she was my lab partner."

"And it turned into so much more, didn't it?"

"Yeah." Korra smirked and met her eyes. "It did."

"Then I think Asami is exactly what you need right now."

The blush faded into a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"All this time, you've been dealing with these bad things, non-stop. I think you need to take a break."

"Take a break? How do I take a break from something inside my head?"

"I never said it would be easy, now. But I think you need a good distraction, just for a little while."

Korra raised her eyebrow. "So I should just run away from my problems?"

"I'm not saying 'run away'. I'm saying do something else for now. Something refreshing to rejuvenate your mind and to help you sleep better at night. The more relaxed and recovered you become, the easier it will be to deal with everything that's going on inside of you. It might even calm your chi enough for me and Kya to help ease it."

"Clear my mind by spending time with Asami."

"Exactly."

She finished the tea in her mug and set it on the table. "I suppose it wouldn't _hurt_. I could show her around the village. Who knows how long she'll be staying here."

"I bet she would like that very much."

Korra grinned and rose from her seat. "Thank-you, Master Katara. I – I really appreciate it. And, well, _everything_."

Katara stood and walked to Korra's side. "Of course. Anything to help. But please do come see me again, once you've rested and relaxed a bit."

"I will." She turned to leave but stopped herself. "Hey – um, Master Katara, can I ask you another question?" She faced the elder with a bit of hesitation. "Is – is the fact that I like Asami – _weird_? You know, because, like… well, _I'm_ a girl and _she's_ a girl? Like, are you okay with that?"

She chuckled. "Korra, it shouldn't matter what I or anyone else thinks about who you love. Besides, my brother dated the woman who became the _moon_. You're going to have to do a lot more than that to shock me."

Korra laughed, though the nervousness didn't recede.

Katara held Korra's cheeks in her palms. "I don't think it's weird at all that you like Asami. She sounds like a wonderful person. I fully support you, Korra. _Both_ of you."

She beamed, relief running through her veins. "Thank-you, Master Katara." She pulled Katara into an excited hug. "I'm going to go see her _right_ _now_ ," she exclaimed as she departed. Korra spun on her heel, waving behind her as she dashed. She ducked under Kya – whom she almost crashed into – and threw a 'sorry' over her shoulder before bolting out of the front entrance.

Kya eyed her mother with a raised brow. She put her hands on her hips and spoke in a playful tone. "What was that all about?"

Katara smiled and stared at the path that Korra had taken through her home. "Oh, nothing." She walked to the sink and cleaned the mugs, the smirk never leaving her face.

(-)


	28. Flustered

Hey! I had a chance to update today. ^_^ Hope you enjoy it!

(-)

Chapter 28

 **Flustered**

Korra could hear Naga scratching at the door upon her arrival. "Back up, Naga, so I can get in." Once the noise stopped, she pushed the entrance open.

Within an instant, she was tackled into the snow.

"Okay, okay, Naga, I'm okay. _Naga_." She tried to reprimand her polar bear dog through chuckles.

Her animal companion wouldn't relent with her licks.

"Korra, you're back!" The booming sound of her father's voice greeted her. "We were worried about you, but we figured you just stayed at Katara's when you saw the storm outside."

She pushed Naga away and crawled to her feet, wiping the saliva off of her face with the backs of her hands. "Yeah, I was pretty tired and with the weather… I didn't really want to walk back in that mess."

"I understand. I was just barely able to get our snowmobiles running in the forest before the storm hit." He gestured to the three vehicles parked beside their small home with his hand. "Luckily, we made it out of there in time. Naga was a big help." He scratched the polar bear dog's ear and received an excited bark in return.

"Good. I'm glad you're behaving." She gave the animal a look that conveyed both discipline and relief.

Naga tilted and lowered her head just a bit in response.

"Did Asami help you get the snowmobiles running? It sounds like her kind of project."

"She didn't help with those ones, no. But she did work on the ones in the garage near Harbor City. Hopefully, she's still there."

Korra's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"She told me and Naga to go out and help the others in the forest while she fixed the snowmobiles. She said she would either come back on one of them or go out to the forest to see if the two broken ones needed fixing. She –" His face grew grave. "She never came back last night."

" _What?_ " Korra crawled onto Naga's confused, bare back in an instant.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to the garage to see if Asami's there." She ushered Naga into a sprint with no reigns before Tonraq could even respond.

He stood at his doorstep, watching his daughter rush off into the distance in befuddlement.

(-)

Asami drifted back into reality like the single snowflakes that were falling from the sky, each unique and perfect in its structure. Her limbs were a bit shaky from the cold and from huddling up all night, but she was alive and rested. As much as she didn't want to lose her body heat, she _had_ to stretch; her back was aching from its upright position. She started with her legs and followed up with her arms and torso. After another yawn, she pushed herself to her feet and looked around the dim room.

 _Well, all the snowmobiles are still here. That's good. I can use one to get back to Korra's._

Her heart flipped at the thought of the Southerner. She meandered over to the window and took a peek outside. Half her height was covered in snow from the storm last night.

 _After_ _I dig myself out._

She sighed, never having experienced this heavy of a snowfall before. The winter precipitation in Republic City only amounted to a foot – maybe _two_ during bad seasons – of snow and quite a bit of freezing rain. She rubbed her elbows, using the friction to generate warmth, and searched the area for a shovel. She sighed when she found nothing of use.

 _Wait, they're Water Benders. What would they_ _ever_ _need a shovel for when they can just_ _Bend_ _the snow away?_

Asami exhaled, feeling very much out of place. She wasn't a Bender. She wasn't a Southerner. She wasn't used to _any_ of this.

But she would make do. Because this is what she had _right now_.

 _And besides, you could make a lot of use out of this, Asami. It's a new place for you to explore._

 _A new_ _cold_ _place._

 _Yes, it_ _is_ _cold. But you've dealt with worse. You just need some proper clothing._

Asami jumped when she heard a bang on the door. A muffled voice rippled through the metal, calling her name. She approached it with caution, as was her nature. An occasional sound echoed through the room, though the noise was soft, as if something was just patting the entrance. There was no window for her to look through near the door to examine the situation. Her heart picked up a bit in speed. The closer she got, the clearer the words were.

"Asami, are you in there? Asami?!"

"Korra?"

"Naga, she's in there. Keep digging. We have to get her out!"

Without thinking, Asami hit the button on the wall by the door. The metal cranked upwards in a slow, rickety motion; the pulley mechanism was quite old and worn from the cold. The reflection of the daylight against the snow lit up the room while the entrance opened.

It didn't take long for Asami to be surrounded by warmth – much _desired_ warmth, at that.

But it wasn't the polar bear dog that tackled her to the ground, like she was expecting. Instead, it was the Water Tribe girl, holding her in such a tight embrace that Asami had lost her balance.

"Oh, sorry, Asami." Korra scurried off of her as quick as she could, her cheeks burning red. The jittery, nervousness inside of her returned the moment she realized she was on top of Asami. She offered her a hand, despite her blushing. "I didn't mean for you to fall. I was just excited to see you."

 _She's just like Naga._

Asami chuckled and allowed Korra to pull her up. "I can tell."

Naga trotted to her side and licked her cheek.

"Naga likes you." She grinned at Asami and put her palms on her own hips.

 _You_ _like her, too._

Korra's flush worsened to the thought. She tried to find something to distract herself, but she kept getting lost in Asami's features: her pale skin, muddled with some dirt and grime from her work on the snowmobiles… the way she looked in Korra's blue parka… her peridot eyes, which sparkled amongst everything else and were staring _right at her_. She panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

Unfortunate for her, it wasn't quite the _best_ thing she could of said, nor was it the best delivery in the world.

"YoulookreallyniceandI'mgladyou'renotanAsamisicle."

Asami raised her eyebrow, a bit confused from her fast statement. "What?"

"You – uh – you, I'm glad you're okay. It – uh, gets cold here, and I'm happy you aren't frozen."

She giggled. "You said Asamisicle, didn't you?"

Korra was pretty sure that she _actually_ burst into flames. "I – uh – I… Naga!"

The polar bear dog snapped to attention.

This didn't buy her a lot of time. "I, uh, well, um… I have a polar bear dog."

"Yes, you do."

"She's right here." Korra pointed at the animal with her thumb.

Naga tilted her head to the side in confusion and barked.

Asami decided to play along. "And what amazing things can this polar bear dog do?" She circled the animal, her chin in her hand as she inspected Naga. "Can she run? Jump? Hunt?"

"Yep, she can do it all!" Korra gave her a crooked grin, already feeling relief from her embarrassment.

Asami finished her examination with a quick ruffle of her fur. "She seems pretty strong. Has a good coat. I better check her ears." She leaned forward and whispered to the animal: "play along and I'll give you double the fish I offered yesterday."

Naga yapped when Asami winked.

"The ears look good. No dirt, no infection, no bugs."

Korra stood beside her, her hands on her waist in pride.

"She's a beautiful specimen, Korra. You've raised her well. I'll take her!"

Her expression morphed from joy to confusion. "Wait, what?"

Asami hopped onto the polar bear dog's back and tossed a yuan Korra's way. "Thanks, Korra!" She ushered Naga out of the garage and the two sped away.

"What? Wait! Asami, come back! Wait! Naga isn't for sale!" Korra ran after her as fast as she could until she plopped into the snow.

She turned the animal around and they stood several yards away, chuckling at the Korra-shaped hole in the fluff. They pranced over to her, giggling.

Korra pushed herself out, a bit of snow stuck to the top of her head. She shook it off and scrambled to a harder surface. Once she was there, she waited for Asami's feet to touch the ground before lunging.

Asami laughed – her eyes closed – as she slid off of Naga. "Sorry, Korra, I couldn't help it. The look on your face was –"

Down she went.

They tumbled into the snow bank and rolled several times until Korra was on top of her. Their eyes met, a soft panting escaping their lungs in minor billows of frozen breath between them.

"I'm not sorry about this one," Korra smirked in a way that said so many things.

 _Too many things._

Lucky for Korra, Naga came along and licked her cheek before she could downward spiral into embarrassing sputtering again. She hopped to her feet and mounted her polar bear dog's bare back. "Come on, Asami. There's another thing that Naga can do that I want to show you." She reached down and waited for Asami to stand and take her hand. She pulled her up to the back of her polar bear dog.

"Is it her swimming abilities?"

"No, I've already showed you that." Korra smiled and brought Naga to the entrance of the garage. She hopped off for just a moment to shut the metal door and crawled back up once it was closed. "Naga gives _excellent_ tours of the Southern Water Tribe."

Asami raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, really?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure it's not the _driver who's giving her directions_ that gives a good tour?" She followed her question by wrapping her arms around Korra's waist to keep herself from falling off the animal underneath her. She could feel the temperature change in the woman in front of her and – in all honesty – was thankful for the additional warmth.

Korra – on the other hand – was not as thrilled about blushing, _again_. "Well, uh, I guess we just make a good team?"

"We certainly do." Asami was pleased with how smooth she was acting until her stomach made a larger-than-life rumble. Now, it was _her_ turn to blush.

"How about we go get some food? _Then_ I'll show you around." Korra maneuvered her hold on the back of Naga's neck and sent her into a gentle walk. "Actually, I know the perfect place where we can do both." She steered the polar bear dog in the other direction, moving away from Harbor City and its almost-midday rush.

(-)

 _Aww, man._

Her shoulders slouched as her destination was in sight. She could tell – just by the look of it – that the grounds weren't cleared of all of the snow from the night before; the area still wasn't accessible yet.

 _Okay, don't panic. Plan B._

"This way, Naga." She guided her animal away from Plan A before Asami could realize what Plan A even was.

 _We'll come back in an hour or so. It should be ready then._

"Where are we going, Korra?"

"We certainly aren't going to the ice fields right now, that's for sure."

"Ice fields?"

"Don't worry, you'll see them soon. First, we're gonna go home and clean up and get some warm food in us."

Asami grimaced for a moment, recalling the last warm meal that she ate in the Southern Water Tribe. "You don't think your mom is making sea prune stew again, do you?"

Korra chuckled. "Not a fan?"

She shook her head.

"It's okay; I'll eat your portion if you don't want it. Besides, it's definitely an _acquired_ taste."

"That's what your mom told me. Well, the last part, not the first part."

Korra laughed. "I figured." She had Naga speed up a bit, feeling some hunger pains herself. "I'm not sure what my mom will be making or what she has ready in the ice box to be cooked. But I'm sure it'll be better than the last batch of stew you had if she makes a new one. Fresh Southern Water Tribe food is _much_ better than frozen Water Tribe food." Korra could feel her mouth water to the thought of it. She leaned forward a little more, making her polar bear dog run faster. "We're almost home. Once we eat and get washed up, we'll head back out."

Asami nodded and pulled herself closer to Korra. It wasn't so much the additional wind that was whipped up from the sprinting that made her do so. Rather, it was the fear of falling off the dashing animal and getting trampled by her mighty paws.

Either way, Korra smirked.

They slowed to a stop at the front door and slid off of Naga. The trio entered Korra's home and shut the door behind them.

It was much warmer than Asami remembered. She attributed it to the substantial fire in the common room – thanks to the fresh wood that Tonraq and his crew had gathered. Senna and Tonraq were sitting next to each other by the mantle, the former sipping some tea and weaving while the latter read through several papers on his lap.

"Hey, mom. Hi, dad. I found Asami." Korra gave them a sideways grin and pointed at the woman behind her with her thumb. "She's safe and sound now. I'm going to get us some food." She took Asami by the wrist and pulled her into the kitchen.

Senna and Tonraq shared a confused look. They shifted their attention on Naga, who sat in front of them with her tail bouncing and her tongue hanging from her mouth.

"You want more fish, don't you, Naga?"

She barked at Tonraq's question.

He stacked his papers and stood. "I'll take her out to the Aakaga to get some fishing done. Should we bring some back for dinner?"

Senna nodded. "That would be wonderful." The rustling in the kitchen forced her to abandon her weaving. "I'll go check on her."

Tonraq bobbed his head and waved the polar bear dog on to follow him. He grabbed the stone bucket by the door before leaving.

"Korra, is everything alright in here?"

Senna halted in the doorway to find her daughter rummaging through the cupboards, stammering the entire time. Asami was kneeling at the table with an entertained smile on her face.

"Oh, um, hey, mom. Do we have – um – any leavy lils – I mean, _lily leaves_ , for tea?"

Senna couldn't help but feel a mixture of concern and amusement; she had never seen her daughter so flustered in her life – not even after the time she tried to lie her way through a story about how bandits broke their vase and how she fought them off with a fish. Her daughter was a horrible liar, ever since birth. But _this_? This was a different kind of stumbling, and Senna knew _exactly_ what kind it was.

"Here, sweetie. Let me help you. Why don't you and Asami go get washed up and I'll warm up some food for you?" She took the two cups from Korra's hands and gave her an ushering look.

"Oh, um, okay. Thanks, mom. Come on, Asami." Korra motioned for the engineer to follow and left in a half-blushed state.

 _Oh, Korra._

(-)

"Here, Asami. You can use this rag to clean the oil off your face. And I can lend you some more clothes, if you want. I have – um –" She rummaged through her drawers, realizing she actually _didn't_ have very many clothes to offer that weren't pajamas or much too worn out for Asami. "I've got, uh, a pair of pants and um… wait, I thought I had boots, too, but these ones are even worse than my other ones…"

"Korra, relax." She put a palm on her bare tan shoulder until Korra eased. "I'll be fine, as long as I'm moving around and I can use your parka."

"Of course! Use whatever you need! It's not too cold out today, so I can just wear this. I don't need a parka, not with my Southern Water Tribe blood!" She ended her embarrassing sentence with a nervous laugh. "What? Do you need me, mom?" She called over her shoulder, feigning the entire situation. "I'll be right back, Asami. You just – do what you gotta do." Korra almost _ran_ away from Asami. She burst into the kitchen and stumbled right onto her cushion, face buried into the table top.

"Korra?" Senna spun around from the pot, worry in her voice.

"I'm fine. Don't mind me. Please, continue doing what you're doing." She waved her mother on without lifting her nose an inch.

She shook her head and smiled, remembering when _she_ was reduced to a similar state over her initial crush on Tonraq many, many years ago. She returned to her stew and stuck a spoon inside. "Everything is going to be okay, Korra. Just be yourself."

Korra opened her mouth to reply when she heard footsteps behind her. She sat up in an instant and hid all of her turmoil. When Asami entered the kitchen, she smiled, taken aback inside by the addition of fresh makeup on Asami's dirt-free face. She thought Asami was beautiful with and without her makeup, but those red lips that popped from her pale skin and the purple shadow that accented her peridots so well made Korra's heart skip a beat.

Well, perhaps _multiple_ beats.

 _Where did she get makeup from? Does she just carry it around with her?_

When there was no response, her head tried to get her attention again.

 _Korra? Are you in there?_

Nothing but gushiness exuded out.

 _Oh, for Spirits sake!_

Senna snuck a look at the pair, knowing _exactly_ what was going on between them; she could tell just by the look in her daughter's eyes.

 _Whether or not_ _they_ _know, though…_

She smirked and ladled stew into each bowl. "We haven't had the chance to go out to the market or out to the rivers yet, Asami, but I added some fish to your sea prune stew so it's a bit more bearable for you." She placed the dishes in front of the younger women and smiled. "I'm sure Korra wouldn't mind eating your sea prunes if you don't want them."

Korra chuckled and dipped her clean spoon into Asami's bowl, stealing a sea prune on the way. She popped it into her mouth and smiled.

Asami raised her eyebrow, taking the gesture as a challenge instead of an act of cuteness. "No, no. If I'm going to stay here with you, I need to learn to eat the food you give me. I don't want special treatment." She maneuvered around the lighter chunks of fish meat and went right for the sea prunes. As horrible as it was on her tongue, it wasn't _nearly_ as bad as the first time. She smiled to hide her grimace and continued eating the meal without a single sound. She met Korra's oceans when she finished and smirked in success.

Korra grinned and slurped her bowl empty. She hummed in satisfaction. "Thanks, mom. I really appreciate it." She took both of their dishes and placed them in the sink. "I'm going to show Asami around the Southern Water Tribe for a little while. We'll be back in a bit."

"Okay, sweetie. Be safe."

"We will, mom. No worries. We'll have Naga with us, too." She added once she heard the polar bear dog return. "Come on, Asami. Let's do this!" Korra gave her a crooked grin and dashed out of the room.

Asami paused before following her to thank Senna for the food.

"It's no problem, Asami." Senna took a step forward and put a hand on Asami's shoulder. "Take good care of Korra. Okay?"

She nodded. "Always."

(-)


	29. The Glacier Spirits Festival

Hello all! I meant to update this earlier, but life. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's one of my favorites. *heart*

(-)

Chapter 29

 **The Glacier Spirits Festival**

"We're almost here, Asami. Close your eyes," Korra called over her shoulder, her trademark grin on her face.

Asami tightened her grip on Korra's waist the second she shut her lids. "Where exactly are we going, Korra?"

"You'll see."

"Not with my eyes closed."

A minor pout spread onto her lips. "You know what I mean, Asami." She leaned back and nudged the girl's cheek with the side of her head before returning to her hunched position. "Keep going, Naga. Right over there, at the front entrance. No, the _other_ entrance."

The trio sped along until Korra slowed them into a halt.

She twisted around so that she could see Asami's reaction. She took a mental note of the rosy color on the woman's pale cheeks and nose, blushing a bit in response. Once it faded, she spoke. "You can look now."

Asami cracked her lids to reveal a rather large festival before her. There were small, colorful tents strewn about the grounds, varying in size, height, and offerings. Matching, alternating banners hung in sways along the border, some of which held small lamps for the nighttime activities. In the center of it all was a giant wheel that had small boxes on its caged construction. There were several people inside as it spun around at a slow speed. "What _is_ all of this, Korra?" There was a bit of wonder in her voice; she never would have expected such a gathering in such a frozen, barren area.

"This is the Glacier Spirits Festival." She hopped off of Naga and offered her arm to Asami.

Asami grabbed her wrist and landed on her feet. She joined Korra's side as they approached the entrance.

"You have to head back, Naga. You _know_ they won't allow you here after what happened the _last_ time."

She lowered her head and whimpered.

"What happened last time?"

"Naga kinda… stole someone's giant ball from one of the booths and popped it."

Asami eyed the sad animal in disbelief. "Why would you pop it, Naga?"

"It was an accident." Korra clarified, stepping in for her companion. "She saw it and got excited and wanted to play, but we didn't know that it was a weak ball. Her jaws clamped right through it."

"Aww, poor Naga." Asami walked up to the polar bear dog and scratched her ear. "We'll have to get you a better ball to play with."

She hopped up in excitement and licked Asami's cheek.

"I think you two are going to be best friends at this rate," Korra chuckled, joining in on the petting. Once the commotion was over, she continued her instruction. "Don't worry, girl. We'll be fine. Head back home, okay? I'll see you later tonight."

Naga whined and rubbed her face against Korra's cheek until they were in a gentle embrace.

"I love you, too," Korra whispered, content with her polar bear dog in her arms.

Naga pulled away and nudged Asami.

Asami ruffled her fur and smiled.

"Alright, girl. Get going, and be safe."

She barked and sped off, eager to follow Korra's command.

Korra watched Naga until she was out of sight. She turned back to Asami and grinned. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely."

They spun back to the entrance and walked through the colorful gates side by side.

"What do you want to do first, Asami? There's games and food and music and all sorts of things."

Her peridots examined all that the festival had to offer that was in her immediate sight. "How about we just walk around for a little bit? You can tell me all about this festival."

"Gladly." Korra took a step closer as they strolled around the various tents and vendors. The sun was about three-fourths of its way through its journey across the sky, forcing shadows to spread at their feet. "The Glacier Spirits Festival originated as a means for the Northern and Southern Water Tribes to strengthen their connection to each other, as well as to serve as a means to communicate with the Spirits."

"Communicate with the Spirits?"

She nodded. "There are practices and rituals that Water Tribe people would go through to interact with the Spirits. Most of it was through group meditation. Sometimes, the Spirits would reveal themselves as lights in the sky, or even speak to them in their own form."

"But how is that possible? I thought the Spirit World and the Mortal World are separate."

Korra smiled, impressed with Asami's knowledge on the matter. "They are, but during the year, the worlds get closer and closer together. At the winter solstice, they are so close together that it's possible to reach out and talk to the Spirits. That's why the festival starts a week before the solstice, so that we can prepare."

Asami glanced around her, observing the decorations and people wandering about. "It doesn't seem like it's very ritualistic anymore."

"Yeah, you're right," Korra sighed, looking away from her. "The carnival has pretty much taken over most of the traditional activities. But it's still fun, though. Here, I'll show you."

She took Asami by her wrist and jogged over to one of the booths. In it were several targets beside one another, each resembling a fish. There was a hole in their open mouths and spray nozzles on the counter opposite of them, nearest to the pair. Small, deflated rubber sacks hung from the tops of the fish heads. Stuffed prizes lined the walls, consisting of various animals from around the Southern Water Tribe.

"We want in." Korra lined herself up at one of the spouts, aiming for the fish in front of her. "Come on, Asami. Grab one."

The booth manager, an older man dressed in blue robes, lifted his arms above his head. A soft rumbling and shaking emerged from the jets, indicating the creation of water pressure from the man's Bending.

Asami raised an eyebrow and took the spot next to Korra.

"The rules are simple: you squeeze the trigger, aim for the mouth, and try to get that balloon on top full. The first one to pop wins a prize."

 _Seems easy enough._

Asami lowered herself until she was level with the sights of the nozzle.

"Ready? Set –"

"You're going down, Sato."

"Go!"

They gripped their triggers and the water shot out of the spout. Korra and Asami were neck and neck.

Korra's tongue was sticking out in concentration. She observed Asami in her peripherals.

 _How is she so good at this already?_

Their blue balloons were almost full, each one looking like it was going to burst at any second.

When they heard a pop to their left, they straightened and released their triggers to find the culprit. A small boy with short brown hair and blue clothes jumped up in joy, his grin revealing a missing front tooth.

"We have a winner!" The owner grabbed one of the stuffed tiger seals and handed it to the child.

He took the toy and hugged it to his chest. "Thanks, mister!" Without a second to spare, he skipped away, calling to his parents in excitement.

Korra and Asami gaped at the boy, nozzles loose in their hands.

"That's the look of two people who can't believe they lost to a child." The man chuckled, adjusting the cuffs on his coat. "It happens more often than most people think. Would you care to play again?"

"How about it, Asami?"

She met her challenging oceans with fierce peridots. "Let's go."

They bent over to their spouts and waited for the starting call, oblivious to the others around them. As much as they tried, they were handed the same defeat from the palms of a little girl to their right.

"Again?"

"Again."

The pair went through about ten more rounds in their stubbornness, more focused on competing with each other than with the kids who kept beating them. Claims of 'my balloon was fuller than yours' and 'my shot was more on target' went back and forth until their shoulders ached from the crouching.

"Staying for another round, ladies?"

Korra lifted her palm and declined. "I think we're going to try some of the other ones. But thanks!"

"Not a problem. Enjoy the festival!" He waved as they left.

They meandered around the tents, closer to each other than before. The pleasant aroma of warm food drifted into their noses, pulling them into a designated course. When they arrived, Asami's brow scrunched in confusion. She watched a young couple in front of her receive a fluffy bundle of pink stuff on a stick. They walked away with smiles, removing small pieces of the fuzz and –

 _Eating it?_

Asami approached the counter with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion in her eyes. Korra was beside her, containing her drool over the smell of the popcorn.

"Do you want to try some?" Korra motioned with a shift of her head to the ball of sugary threads on the side of the booth; she noticed that they had caught Asami's eye.

"What _is_ it? I've never seen anything like it."

"I'll show you."

The woman running the booth handed Korra a stick with blue fluff on the top. Korra led Asami to a more deserted corner of the tent and pulled a piece off. She lifted it to Asami's red lips and smiled. "Try it. I think you'll really like it."

Hesitation sparked inside of her. She almost reached for the fuzz when she remembered that her gloves weren't exactly the _cleanest_ piece of her clothing right now. Her peridots flicked between the blue fluff in front of her and the oceans staring at her in anticipation. It was the goofy crooked grin that got her. Her cheeks reddened. With a gentle inhale, she ate the sugar strings from Korra's fingers.

She wasn't expecting such a rush of sweetness. The fluff dissolved in her mouth once it hit her tongue. Small, delicious crystals remained until they, too, liquefied into nothingness.

"Woah."

"Do you like it?"

Asami nodded and pulled another piece off, dirty gloves be damned. She popped it into her mouth and smiled. "What _is_ this stuff, Korra?"

"It's cotton candy. They don't have this in Republic City?"

She shook her head and removed a rather large chunk.

"Hey! Save some for me!" Korra grabbed a bit and tilted her head back. She dropped it in and hummed.

Their eyes met when she straightened. They couldn't contain their laughter for a second longer.

Unfortunately for Korra, she had let her guard down for just a moment too long.

Asami snuck in and took the stick right out of Korra's hands. She shot her a sly smirk before taking off, cotton candy in her fist.

"Hey, get back here, Sato!" Korra chased after her, smiling the whole time. She dodged several festival goers in her pursuit and caught up to Asami when half the cotton candy was gone. Her arms flung around the woman's torso, bringing her to a giggling halt.

"Okay, okay, you got me –" Asami twisted her head just as Korra took a huge bite out of the treat.

Korra snuck the stick out of Asami's grip and released her, consuming what remained of the dessert.

All Asami could do was laugh. She joined the Korra's side and nudged her with her elbow. "Gotcha."

"Me and half the cotton candy."

She chuckled. "I couldn't help it. It was so good and you're too adorable." Asami froze in her spot after the words left her mouth. Her cheeks _burned_ from embarrassment. She searched for a diversion, hoping to find _something_ before Korra noticed her blushing and what she had said. "Hey, what's that game?" She pointed and scurried over to a blue booth.

There were several large stone cups stacked up into a triangle: three on the base, two in the middle, and one on the top. Similar stuffed animal prizes were hung along the walls.

Korra caught up to Asami and gave her a knowing smirk before turning her attention to the woman in the booth.

"This here is a snowball toss. You get three snowballs. If you knock over all the cups, you get a prize."

"Ha! I can do this!" Korra grinned and cracked her knuckles, determination on her face. "Okay, Asami. I'm gonna win you a prize." She picked up one of the snowballs and rubbed her hands around it, feeling its compaction. "Which one do you want?" She shifted her stance, preparing herself to throw.

"Maybe you should _win_ first, Kor –"

The crash of every single cup off of its platform interrupted her.

 _She got it in_ _one throw_ _?_ _How_ _?_

Korra turned to Asami with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression no less than absolutely smug. "I'm a snowball champ, Asami. Now, which prize do you want?"

Asami glanced at each of the stuffed animals with an eyebrow raised. She couldn't even _remember_ the last time she had a toy like these. But this wasn't just _any_ plush; it was one that Korra had _won_ for her, even if the victory was effortless in comparison to the balloon game. She looked over her options with care, unsure of how to rank them or what some of them even _were_. She was familiar with only one animal in the Southern Water Tribe. "I wish they had polar bear dogs, so I could get my own Naga."

"Why get a toy when you have the real thing?" Korra beamed, oblivious for a moment to what Asami meant. "But if you want a polar bear dog –" she turned to the booth and scanned the stuffed animals, finding no polar bear dog in sight, "then I'm gonna find you a polar bear dog." She took Asami's hand and bolted.

"Wait, Korra, what about the prize you won here?"

"Give it to the next kid who comes to your booth!" Korra called to the woman in the blue tent over her shoulder. She brought her focus back to the stands in front of her, her eyes searching for a polar bear dog plush at every tent.

Asami didn't know why, but she couldn't stop laughing. Perhaps it was the ridiculousness of their situation. Perhaps it was the faint lingering of her exhaustion. Or perhaps it was just an overwhelming amount of joy. Whatever it was, it made her feel good – better than she had in a long time. So she put on a smile and enjoyed it, following Korra, their fingers locked, on their pursuit for a stuffed animal.

(-)


	30. Perfect

To start things off, I'm kinda glad that I was too busy to post this chapter until now. This is a really special chapter to me, and it is my favorite chapter of fanfiction that I have ever written. I would like to take a moment to say a few things. While I didn't write this for Korra and Asami's anniversary on this day, December 19th, I feel like today was the most appropriate day I could have picked for posting this chapter. It really is a culmination of their growth, support, and love between them. And one of the things I love about this chapter is that you could read it out of context, without having read any of the chapters before, and understand. This is a chapter about them, and everything they have worked so hard to achieve. It is a chapter that signifies their love, in and out of canon. It is a chapter that starts to show what Korrasami means to me, and maybe even what it means to you.

Love. Nurturing. Acceptance. Happiness.

These are just a few of the things that signify the gravity of this relationship. Don't even get me started on the rest and on Korra and Asami as individual characters: they don't allot me enough words in this box to talk about that. I remember the night I watched the finale and midnight the day before work, and I remember crying when they walked into the portal together. Every time I think of them, there's a flutter in my heart. I feel encouraged. I feel safe. I feel strong. I feel loved. And I still have not been able to watch more than one episode of Korra to this day due to the emotions they have brought about inside of me.

So, let this be a celebration of them, a culmination of all that has come before them. I would like to dedicate this chapter to their anniversary, and to each and every one of you. You have all filled my heart with love and strength, and I would not be where I am today or who I am today without you. Thank-you, from the bottom, top, and sides of my heart for investing your time in reading my story. It means more to me than words can express and I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such amazing readers. I am honored to have you cross paths with me, and each time that I see a notification from one of you, a smile crosses my face.

Thank-you. Thank-you to you, the readers. Thank-you to the creators of Legend of Korra. And most of all, thank-you Korra and Asami, for bringing me something I never thought I would get to experience before.

(-)

Chapter 30

 **Perfect**

"I can't believe you were able to find a polar bear dog." Asami grinned, tightening her grip on the torso-sized plush in her left arm. Her right was entangled with Korra's as they departed the sounds and smells of the darkening festival.

"I can't either, to be honest. Polar bear dogs are usually feared and hunted in the Southern Water Tribe."

"Maybe you taming one made a difference."

"Maybe. At least _one_ person out there must think that kids would want a fluffy wild animal as a toy for that booth to have it. It might have taken me a few tries, but I got it!"

"A _few?_ Try about _thirty_."

Korra pouted. "Those rings would _not_ stay on those glass bottles, no matter how many times or ways I tossed it."

She chuckled and nudged Korra's shoulder with her head. "But you did it. Now I have a polar bear dog of my own."

"What are you gonna name her?"

She raised an eyebrow and looked at her plush. "I don't know, to be honest."

"You could always name her Naga, Jr., but you'd have to ask Naga about it first."

Asami laughed and straightened. "I suppose I would." She glanced at the festival behind her. Some of the lamps were being lit in the distance as the sun made its orange descent over the horizon. "Are we heading back to your place, Korra?"

"Actually, no. Not yet. There's one more spot I want to show you today, and it's not too far from here." She released Asami's arm only to slide her tan palm into the gloved one. Korra gave it a gentle squeeze and led Asami away from the carnival.

They walked for quite some time, enjoying the crisp air in their lungs and the quieting of the festival sounds from their ears. Asami took a final look at the fair; most of the tents were a blur, but the Ferris Wheel still stood tall. She thought to their adventure, from the many games they played to the foods they consumed. "Korra, how come we didn't have to pay for any of the stuff we did?"

She raised her brow in confusion. "The Glacier Spirits Festival is always free."

"But _why_? The Southern Water Tribe could make a huge profit on this and really help fund their economy."

"Because that's not what this is about, Asami. It's not about raising money and exploiting people. It's about bringing people together, whether it's the two Water Tribes and Spirits or people from all over the world."

Asami peeked over her shoulder again, a bit of wonder in her eyes. The giant ride was the only thing visible from their distance. She wondered why the pair hadn't gone on it until she turned around and saw what was before her.

The duo made their way to the top of a giant glacier of sorts. Really, it was more of a snow covered mountain or ledge. Still, it was quite high up, even taller than the Ferris Wheel – which seemed to be but a small circle as they began their ascent to the peak. There was ice and snow on all sides except one. While the Glacier Spirits Festival and Harbor City were behind them, the joining of the Igniga and Paniga Rivers into the Aakaga were in front of them, the convergence stretching out to almost the span of a lake – perception wise. The faint lights of common room fires in the homes of the village outskirts where Korra lived could be seen on the horizon, the outside of the homes glowing orange from the setting sun. The wind was much colder and fiercer at this height. Asami tightened her hold on Korra's hand as a breeze passed through them.

"Remember the first day we met and you asked me about the Southern Water Tribe? You asked me what my favorite place was and I told you it was the central glacier?"

She nodded, a smile forming on her face.

"Well, this is it. My favorite spot in the entire village, in the entire Southern Water Tribe."

Asami took a few steps forward towards the ledge, freeing herself from Korra's hold. She let her eyes touch on every single thing she could, and in all honesty, it was the most _beautiful_ sight she had ever seen. The white of the snow along the many hills, valleys, and mountains radiated the color of the setting sun. Small, almost iridescent flowers littered the edges of the cliffs, their petals shimmering in the lowering light. They waved to her as the wind moved through them. With a squint of her eyes, she could see the dark blues of the ocean shorelines, a faint streak in the scenery. The color matched the mighty rivers at her sides and her front, stretching out to the small village that Korra called home. She glanced behind her, observing the sparkling lights of the festival below – now that it was dark enough to see the faint lamps. The stars were starting to shine, popping out of the darkness in full view. She understood, at that moment, why Korra hadn't taken her up onto the Ferris Wheel; the view from atop the ride just couldn't compare to the scenery on the glacier. Upon further rotation, her eyes landed on Korra, whom she decided in that instant was the most _beautiful_ woman she had ever seen.

Her tan skin glowed under the light of the setting sun, the blues of her outfit complimenting her skin and matching the ocean eyes beaming back at her. The gentle smile and curve of her lips were to die for. Her wolf tails rustled in the soft breeze around them. Korra was motionless, her heart pounding as she watched Asami take in the sights – the _real_ sights – of the village for the first time. She took a nervous step towards Asami, an arctic lily in her fingers behind her back; she picked the prettiest one she could find from the edge of the glacier while Asami was lost in her observing wonder.

"So, Asami… how do you like it?"

"I _love_ it." She turned back around, watching the sun fading from sight.

Korra joined her side and crossed her arms over her chest, careful not to crush the flower she held. "It's pretty great, huh?"

She nodded. "I can see now why you were so homesick."

Korra chuckled and eyed the color of the sky as it started to shift into a dark blue.

Asami noticed this and interjected. "Can we stay, Korra? Just for a little while?"

Her grin expanded. "I was hoping you would want to." She looked away for a moment, a mixture of embarrassment, hesitation, and anxiety washing over her.

 _Come on, you can do this. You were fine before. Just take a breath, relax, and be smooth._

 _You make it sound easy._

"I – uh – I got this for you, too." She stared at the plant in her hand as she raised it up to the Asami. "It's an arctic lily." She grinned, locking onto the peridots before her. A gentle blush was on her cheeks, though it wasn't overwhelming. "They grow in the Southern Water Tribe, near the edges of cliffs and mountains, but they only grow on the sides where the moon and the sun sets, since that's when it's the coldest in both the day and the night."

Asami bent forward to examine the flower in Korra's fingers, mesmerized by its iridescent white petals. "It's gorgeous."

"May I?"

Their eyes met once more.

She raised a confused brow and nodded with hesitation.

Korra's smile grew in size. She stepped closer, taking advantage of Asami's curled position, and wove the lily into the side of Asami's hair, twisting the raven locks into a small plait to support it. "Arctic lilies came from the moon lilies that grow in the south. Moon lilies are pretty, too, but they aren't as shiny; their petals are mostly white. But they only open up during the full moon. Arctic lilies are here all year round, but they only like the peaks where it's the coldest." When she finished lacing, she slid back to observe her work.

"How does it look?" Asami ran a gloved hand through the unbraided portion of her hair and smiled.

"Perfect," Korra muttered, her heart pounding in her chest to the beauty before her. She stood there for another moment, face agape to Asami's splendor. With a nervous chuckle, she took a seat on the ground. She outstretched her legs and patted the spot beside her.

Asami followed without a second thought. She started in an agura position until another gust chilled her. Even _with_ Korra's parka, she managed to feel the bitter cold sink into her bones.

Her shiver didn't go unnoticed.

Korra wrapped her right arm around Asami's shoulders in an effort to keep her warm. It wasn't long until Asami melted into her side. Korra shifted– bending her left knee up to hold herself in place – to accommodate the woman beside her. They remained in this position for quite some time, watching the almost-full moon replace the sun and the stars exhibit their beauty. She couldn't believe her peridot eyes: there were thousands – _thousands_ – of stars in the sky of all sorts of shapes and sizes and lusters. It was a sight to behold, even prettier than the nights at her isolated Estate; miles and miles of distance from the City wasn't enough to allow for _this_ type of scenery. She was overwhelmed and the smile on her face showed it. Asami pushed herself into Korra's arms, snuggling both her torso and her polar bear dog into Korra's core.

Korra, of course, didn't mind this in the slightest. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of arctic lilies with content – though she did miss the normal aroma that radiated off of ASami. There was still a bit of that too, but it was masked by the flower-scented soap used in the Southern Water Tribe. Still, Korra wasn't going to argue. If anything, she could get _used_ to this: spending the day with Asami and Naga, watching the sunset with her in her arms. It was a dream come true to her. She realized, at that moment, that this was the happiest she had ever been in her life, despite her trace amounts of exhaustion and soreness in her body. She tightened her hold and set her oceans on the most beautiful sight in all the land: Asami. The gorgeous scenery couldn't compare to her, not even in the slightest.

And for once, Korra didn't lose control of her thoughts, composure, or her cheeks to the notion. There was no horrible pain in her head, no vivid memories and flashes of nightmares to distract her and pull her away from this moment. The only thing that came close was the pounding in her chest.

"The view is absolutely gorgeous." Asami murmured, still in a state of disbelief.

"She really is." Korra responded, only half-aware of Asami's _actual_ words.

Asami turned her head and craned it upwards until her peridots locked onto the blues next to her. When she realized Korra had been looking at _her_ when she made the statement, her heart melted.

They got lost in each other, as they had many times in the past. But this time was _different_. Neither of them knew how or why or what was even happening but they were inching closer to each other and neither of them could stop it – not that they even _wanted_ to. Their hearts raced, blocking out any other noise in their ears.

They felt heat between them, and it was _undeniable_.

They let everything go. All the anguish. All the pain. All the hesitation and torment and uncertainty. All the faltering and fluttering and stammering. All of their flaws and hindrances. None of those things mattered, for their feelings were true. Everything just melted away as they melted into each other.

Their eyes closed when it became too hard to focus. Within a second after that, their lips touched. It was a simple graze at first, a slow-speed peck on their sensitive skin. Sparks shot through them. The kiss morphed into a soft, passionate parting of the lips, one that held more emotion than lust. They repeated the motion.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

It was then that they realized what they were doing. They pulled away from each other until their backs were mirrored, cheeks burning hot, the stuffed polar bear dog abandoned in the melding.

Neither of them knew what to say, but they knew they had to say _something_. Their rampant thoughts, each ranging from 'what just happened?' to 'holy fuck we just kissed' and beyond, didn't help.

Asami was the first to speak, though she wasn't the first to be brave.

"Korra, I – I didn't – I don't – maybe we should go."

"No." She rotated onto her knees to face Asami and grabbed her forearm to get her attention. Korra waited until Asami's front was to hers before speaking. "I'm not doing myself any favors by holding it in anymore. I can't keep denying it. I _have_ to tell you the truth." This time, she didn't continue until their eyes met.

Even though Asami knew what was coming, her heart refused to stop pounding. When her gloved hands were wrapped up by each of Korra's tan palms, the beating intensified.

"Asami Sato." Korra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her nerves the best she could.

 _You can do it, Korra. You can do it._

She let go, let everything out of herself in that powerful exhale. When she locked back onto the peridots, she was ready – though she _did_ ignore the thrashing in her chest. "Asami, I _love_ you. I have for a long time, and I didn't get to tell you until now because I… I ran away. But I love you. I love you _so much_ and I – I –" She faltered, her nerves creeping up and getting the best of her. "IthinkweweremeanttobetogetherandIcantwaitonemoreminute – noonemore _second_ – to tell you and –"

"Korra – Korra, relax. I – I know." She fought the tears welling up into her eyes and squeezed Korra's hands to calm her from her declining ability to speak. Sure, she had a hunch that Korra had feelings for her, but to finally hear her _say_ it; it was beyond anything she could comprehend – especially given Korra's quickening pace to her speech.

Korra, on the other hand, was a bit baffled and shocked, and it wasn't _just_ from her embarrassing slip during her confession.

 _Wait, she_ _knew_ _? She knew this whole time? And she didn't say anything? She let me make a fool of myself, this_ _entire time_ _?_

She struggled to make her tongue, lips, and vocal chords work at the same time. She wanted to ask Asami so many things: How? Why? When? The list went on and on. But there was only one thing – one question she could muster in her struggling state. "Do – do you love me, too?"

Asami smiled and lifted her hands to Korra's cheeks. She cradled the woman's jawline until her gloved fingertips mingled with her hair. She pulled her into a gentle kiss – similar to their last – before departing and staring deep into her ocean eyes. "Of _course_ I do. I love you, Korra. With all of my heart."

Tears of joy streamed down Korra's face, tracing over the deep blush on her skin. She buried her hands into Asami's locks – appreciating their softness – and kissed her once more.

Asami's hands did the same, though she wanted nothing more than to rip her gloves off and feel Korra's skin in actuality.

Their kisses intensified, their lips widening with each one. They remained slow but increased in pressure, each of them blown away by the sensations they were feeling; it was nothing like what they imagined it would be, and lucky for them, it was _better_ than their wildest dreams and fantasies. It felt good. It felt _right_. And nothing else in the world mattered to them.

It was Korra and Asami. Asami and Korra. It was _their_ turn and no one else's.

A soft, very faint moan escaped Asami against her will. She had been hoping for this day and thinking of this moment for far too long. Her urges got the best of her and she deepened the kiss, a slight throbbing coursing through her and heading south.

Korra obliged without a single ounce of resistance; she had no idea – not even a single _clue_ – that she would enjoy this so much, enjoy hearing the sounds of content radiating from the woman in her arms. She wanted more, and even though she didn't know _how_ , she knew _why_.

Because she loved her. Because she lusted for her. Because everything in this damn moment just felt so – everything. Wonderful. Beautiful. Natural. Perfect.

 _Perfect_.

She pulled Asami closer until their bodies were touching, the warmth from Korra's skin puncturing the parka and warming Asami to her core.

Asami wanted more. She wanted the heat, wanted the security, wanted the love and compassion and comfort that Korra had to offer.

Because she loved her. Because she lusted for her. Because everything in this damn moment just felt so – everything. Wonderful. Beautiful. Natural. Perfect.

 _Perfect._

Nothing could pull them apart. Nothing but the rapid arctic gust that forced their kissing to stop.

They panted for breath – Korra moreso than Asami – as a chill crept over their skin. Their eyes met, soft smiles on their lips.

Korra noticed the faint pink on Asami's cheeks and nose from the cold. "Do you want to head back?"

She shook her head and melted back into Korra, similar to the position they were in before they had kissed. "I want to look at the stars for a little longer." If anything, she didn't want to leave this absolute paradise; she would do _anything_ to stay here for the rest of her life.

Korra couldn't agree more, in all honesty. This was the best she had ever felt in her life. She nodded and grabbed the stuffed polar bear dog with the arm that wasn't wrapped around Asami. She handed it to her and placed her palm on top of the gloved one. When a second shiver crawled through Asami's limbs, Korra pulled her closer. "Here," she ushered the woman between her outstretched legs, guiding her until Asami's back was against her front and her hips were framed by her baggy blue pants, in as innocent a position as possible. "I can cover more of you like this and keep you warm." She wiped her lips with the back of her hand before wrapping her arms around Asami once more; she noticed the residue of Asami's lipstick on her skin when her hand was in sight again. It made her smile and compelled her to tighten her hold.

A dark blush radiated off of Asami's face from the upright, almost-spooning arrangement. She waited until it was gone before she leaned more into Korra. Over time, she slid down until the back of her head was against Korra's chest. Her eyes fluttered shut, the stars her last sight and the warmth of Korra surrounding her – their fingers locked over the plush – her last feeling. She drifted into sleep not long after that, more content – no, _happier_ – than she had ever been in her life. She was at ease, and the entire world – all of her worries and fears and everything else – faded away with a single breath.

(-)

300,00 words. You all made it over 300,000 words before their first kiss. I am proud of you all.


	31. Surprise

Hello everyone. I just wanted to say thank-you for all of the encouraging and lovely words you have given me in your reviews. It means so much to me that anyone at all has read my story, and to see people comment on it... I am just blown away. Thank-you, thank-you so much.

There will be a special treat in store for you all soon. I can't wait for you to see it, so keep your eyes open! *heart*

In the meantime:

Chapter 31

 **Surprise**

Asami awoke in a bit of a daze. The cold air greeted her nose as she inhaled its frosty bite. Incoherent sounds left her lips while she stretched herself out in her position.

"Hey."

A voice spoke from behind her. She sat up and yawned, not turning around until her mouth was shut again.

Vibrant blue eyes met her sleepy greens.

She rubbed her lids with the back of her hands, the plush polar bear dog beside her. "Did I fall asleep," she asked through another yawn.

Korra chuckled. "You did."

Asami extended her torso and upper body. When she finished, she brought her sight back to the oceans before her. "It wasn't a dream, was it?"

She raised a confused eyebrow. "Was _what_ a dream?"

Her cheeks turned a bit pink, though she couldn't tell if she was more embarrassed about _asking_ or _believing_ that her and Korra kissing wasn't an actuality. She looked away until Korra took her gloved palms in her own. She stared into those curious irises. When she noticed Korra lean forward, she did the same, shutting her lids a split second before their lips made contact. It was just as she remembered, just as she hoped it would be. Her blush was darker when they departed and Korra's tan cheeks were sporting some color of their own.

"It wasn't a dream, Asami." She smiled and squeezed her hands.

"Good." She inched closer and planted another kiss on Korra's lips.

Korra closed the gap by pulling on Asami's shoulders. Their bodies touched again as the intimacy continued. By the time the Asami departed, Korra was left a blushing, flustering, panting mess.

 _I guess_ _that_ _hasn't changed._

Asami giggled and pecked Korra's cheek. She slid her hands into Korra's and locked their fingers. When she looked up into the woman's eyes, she could see the faint hint of exhaustion on her face. "Did you sleep at all when I was out?"

Korra shook her head.

"Why? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine, Asami. I didn't _want_ to fall asleep. I wanted to savor the moment."

A gentle grin spread across her lips.

 _Oh, Korra…_

As much as she wanted to stay on this glacier, she couldn't ignore the chilling winds around them. "We should probably get back to your place. It's starting to get really cold out here and I'm sure Naga is worried about you."

"Yeah, you're right." She pulled away and rose, stretching her legs out in the process. "I'm sure she'll want to meet her new pup."

Asami giggled and picked up her plush. "She's _my_ pup, thank-you very much."

"Not if I snatch her from you!" Korra dove forward, arms out to grab the stuffed animal.

Asami lifted the toy on instinct, forcing Korra to miss and plummet right into the snow with a loud 'oomph'. She couldn't help but laugh at the snow piled onto Korra's hair.

"That's it, Sato, you're going down!" She jumped up to her feet and started chasing her. "Get back here!"

Asami sprinted away, polar bear dog in her grip. She had the advantage of being faster than Korra, despite the snowy terrain.

What she _wasn't_ expecting was the smack of something hard against her back.

The surprise of it forced her to trip on her own feet. She tumbled into the snow and rolled part way down the hill, covering herself in white fluff. When she managed to stop, she glanced to the top of the glacier, disbelief in her eyes.

Korra stood with one hand on her hip while the other tossed a snowball about a foot into the air so she could catch it and repeat. She had a sideways grin on her face that Asami knew _too_ well. Within a second, Korra wound up and threw another snowball her way.

Asami rolled to the right, scooping up some snow in the process. She didn't have _that_ great of an aim and she hadn't made snowballs in years. She was at a complete disadvantage. By the time she stood up and finished one, she looked up and saw two coming her way. She ducked under one but the second hit her chest, forcing her back into a giant snow mound. She sunk several feet under its surface, with only her soles sticking out. When she emerged, Korra was standing over her, snowball in one hand and polar bear dog in the other. A sly smile was on her lips.

"Do you surrender, Miss Sato?"

"I will _never_ surrend –" She responded as she rose to her feet, just to be cut off by Korra tackling her back into the snow. They rolled around for a minute, laughter echoing between them. Asami had managed to get on top of her once the movement stopped. She put a gloved hand on each side of Korra's head, flattening her palms against the ground.

Asami gave Korra a look that sent a chill right down her spine, though it wasn't a horrifying quiver at all. She abandoned the stuffed pup and slid her fingers up to Asami's shoulders. She closed her eyes as Asami lowered herself and accepted the kiss she had been yearning for. When Asami departed, Korra was out of breath.

She giggled and climbed off of Korra. "Come on; we've got to get back."

She sighed in reluctance and grabbed onto the woman's extended hand. Once she was on her feet, she retrieved the polar bear dog plush and forked it over to Asami. "Here, she's _your_ pup."

Asami smiled and cradled her toy in one arm. "Yeah, but _you_ won her for me." She slipped her free hand into Korra's and laced their fingers. "We can share."

Korra, in response, nudged the nook of her neck with her nose in very much the same way a polar bear dog would. After she emerged, she scanned her surroundings to get her bearings. "This way." They traversed the rest of the Southern Water Tribe hand in hand, though the chills from the wind were starting to get the best of Asami.

 _I really need to get her some good clothes._

 _Tomorrow. We'll go to the market._

 _Good idea, brain. See, I knew you weren't_ _all_ _bad._

 _Thanks..?_

 _You're welcome!_ Her grin widened as they continued their journey. She noticed Asami shivering and pulled her closer. "Don't worry, Asami. We'll be back soon and then we can get out of our wet clothes and into dry ones and I'll start a big fire so you'll stay nice and warm!"

She smiled and melted into Korra's side. "Sounds wonderful."

(-)

It didn't take them too long to get back to Korra's home, though by the time they made it there, Asami was in a rapid shake. Her clothes had gotten wet during their tousle and their short trip through the shallow portion of the Aakaga. It was no surprise that she wasn't drying any time soon. If anything, it felt like her clothes were _freezing_ onto her skin. She glanced over at Korra in disbelief.

 _How is she_ _not_ _cold?_

Her skin _was_ a very faint shade of pink, and although she wouldn't admit it, Korra was happy to be back in the warmth again. It didn't matter _how_ hardened her body was to the wintry south; too much exposure would, at some point, reduce her to a state similar to Asami's.

As expected, Naga sprinted up to the pair and tackled them on sight. Lucky for them, it wasn't a _strong_ charge, so they were able to stay on their feet. It took just a few seconds for her to notice the stuffed polar bear dog in Asami's arm. She sniffed it, her tail in a curious wag. She started whining to the engineer, trying to get her to hand the toy over with a nudge of her snout.

"No, Naga. This isn't a chew toy. This is Asami's."

The animal sunk to the floor in disappointment.

"Here, Naga, you can snuggle with her, but you _can't_ chew her or bite anything off or drool on her. Got it?"

Naga perked up to Asami's offer and jumped to her feet. She took the plush as gentle as possible from the woman's gloved hands and trotted to Korra's bedroom in victory.

Korra glanced at Asami, a mixture of emotions in her eyes.

Asami shifted her weight. "We can _all_ share. Besides, I owe Naga a lot of fish _and_ a new ball. The least I can do is let her snuggle with little Naga for the night."

Korra smiled in response. "I suppose that's true." She yawned and stretched her arms. "Guess we better follow her." She spoke between her chuckles as she ushered Asami on. "Here, I've got another pair of pajamas you can wear." She fished the clothes out of her dresser drawer once they walked through the doorway.

"Do I have to sleep in the training room now that there's wood in the mantle?" There was a very subtle hint of pleading in her voice as she accepted the clean clothes.

"Not if you don't want to. You can always stay here with me." There was a small blush on her cheeks, which surprised her; she was expecting an outright burn.

"I would really appreciate that. Thank-you." Asami pulled the parka off and started undressing. Korra did the same. They kept their backs to each other out of respect for the other's privacy. "That floor is really hard. And it's so cold. I don't know how you fell asleep there so many times when you were a kid."

She hesitated, a bit of sadness surfacing in her. "I guess I just tired myself out trying to be a Water Bender."

Guilt spread through Asami as she recalled the stories Korra told her. She frowned and spread her clothes out by the mantle to dry.

Similar thoughts passed Korra's mind as she started a fire with her sparking rocks. The image of her being pulled out of that cold, hard room by her father and to Katara's hut for 'healing' fell into the forefront. "There's someone I want you to meet, Asami." She smiled as the kindling in the mantle came to life. She crouched down and blew on it, spreading the heat to the rest of the twigs and logs.

"Who?"

"A good friend of mine. Two good friends of mine, actually."

"Are you going to _tell_ me about these friends of yours?"

Korra grinned. "Nope. It's going to be a surprise." She walked over to her bed and plopped onto her wolf pelt.

Asami followed but remained on her feet beside the mattress. "Sounds good to me. I'm always up for some adventure."

"Good. Afterwards, we are going to the market to get you some warmer clothes. Deal?"

She smiled in relief. "Deal."

Korra burrowed under her fur and poked her head out. Her hair was loose around her neck. She sat up and slid back towards the wall, making more room for the engineer. When Asami didn't follow through, she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 _Maybe she's waiting for an invitation?_

 _Doesn't she know by now that I don't mind sharing a bed with her?_

 _Just make the offer, Korra._

Asami held her bare elbows, the white tank and blue pants not quite enough to maintain her body heat.

She stared into the peridots for a moment before noticing how cold the woman was.

 _Cold and hot._

 _Hush._

"You can – uh – lay with me under the pelt if you want, Asami. I'll keep you warm – I mean, it'll keep you warm, and it's more comfortable than the floor."

"Thank-you, Korra." She crawled under the fur and scooched a bit closer to Korra.

Her tan hand still hesitated, unsure of whether or not to hold Asami's. As before, Asami guided her palm to her abdomen, interlocking her pale fingers with Korra's. She buried her nose into the raven locks before her, admiring their arctic scent once again. "You know Asami," she murmured, starting to drift into her state of lost inhibition, "you're always welcome to share a pelt with me."

"I just wanted to make sure," she muttered back, sleepiness taking over her as it had on the glacier. "You know… because we –"

Korra's cheeks brightened a bit. "Oh. Right."

Asami could feel the change in Korra's body temperature. Her face flushed red to match.

"Well, you're still welcome to stay. I wouldn't want anyone else to be here but you. And besides," Korra nuzzled her nose closer to the nook of Asami's neck, "I like keeping you warm."

"You always do a good job." Asami shortened the gap between them until their bodies touched. The woman was warmer than before, and to be quite honest, Asami was grateful. But she couldn't ignore the effect Korra's breath had on her as it danced across her skin. It drove her wild inside, but she refrained from letting go; it was too early and they were too tired. She stifled a moan and let out a short hum of satisfaction instead to accompany Korra's sigh of content.

It didn't take them long to fall asleep, each one dreaming of the person beside them. They felt more at ease lying together than they ever had before; there was much less awkwardness, much less worry, much less _everything_ except for what they had been holding inside for far too long: love. With this notion in their minds, this warmth in their bodies, and this emotion in their hearts, they drifted into a deep, relaxing slumber.

And Spirits know that they needed it.

(-)

Korra awoke to the wonderful scent of arctic lilies and the comfortable darkness of Asami's luscious locks. It didn't take her nearly as much time to realize she was holding the woman she loved in her arms as it did the _last_ time they had shared her bed and pelt. She stretched her legs and let out a silent yawn, blinking several times afterwards. She buried her nose further into Asami's hair until her nose returned to the tender nook of Asami's neck.

A faint sound of pleasure escaped the slumbering engineer. She shifted a bit, pushing herself closer to the warmth behind her.

Korra tightened her hold on the woman, happy beyond belief to have her so near.

 _Master Katara was right. This is exactly what I needed._

Her lips spread into a soft smile upon the thought. Some of the turmoil and buzzing that she had felt inside of her died down, as if being around Asami was enough to tame the internal storms. It wasn't until her stomach grumbled and Naga started whining to get out did she even start to _consider_ leaving the bed. While she was willing to hold off on food to spend time with Asami, she couldn't deny her polar bear dog access to the great outdoors to relieve herself. With a sigh, she slipped her fingers from Asami's and slid out of the pelt. She crossed the room on her toes, trying to be as silent as possible.

Naga, on the other hand, was much too full of excitement. She barked, her loud sound reverberating off of the walls.

As Korra expected, she heard mumbling and shuffling from her mattress. "Shhhh, Naga," she whispered, hoping the older woman would fall back asleep. "Asami is sleeping. Here, I'll let you out, but you've got to be _quiet_."

She licked the Korra's cheek before darting out of the bedroom.

Korra smiled as she watched her polar bear dog run. The first sight she noticed when she turned around was the plush she had won Asami, which lay on its side in Naga's bed, unharmed. Her smirk widened until her eyes fell upon the pair of peridots staring back at her. Korra didn't know why, but she was at a loss for words. All she could do was stand across the room with a goofy grin and a light blush on her cheeks.

Asami made the first move. "Good morning," she spoke in a hushed tone as she crawled out from under the wolf pelt. She stretched while she made her way to Korra, a bit of sleepiness in her eyes.

"Good morning."

They melted into a brief hug, neither of them wanting to leave the embrace. They departed with reluctance.

"Sorry about Naga waking you up. She gets excited when she sees me in the morning."

"It's not a problem at all, Korra." Asami yawned and extended her arms. "Do you think we can get something to eat?"

"Absolutely. Let's get dressed and then we'll grab some food and then I'll take you to Ma – my _good friend's_ house." Korra beamed, her crooked grin winning Asami over with ease.

"Sounds good to me."

Korra motioned to leave but Asami stopped her with a gentle grip on her wrist. Their eyes locked and Asami smiled. She rubbed Korra's cheek with her thumb. "You have a little makeup on your cheek," she whispered as she wiped it off, "but your lips looks fine."

A deep blush overwhelmed her face. "I – uh – thanks Asami." She threw a sheepish hand behind her head and grinned.

"It's no problem," she winked as she turned away and stretched over to the bed. "Let's get ready to go meet your _good friend_ ," Asami teased, twisting her torso to crack it before fixing her own makeup with her small kit in her pants pocket.

Korra couldn't contain her excitement – after a few seconds, or perhaps _minutes_ , of flustered gaping. She rushed around, ripping clothes out of her drawers and almost stripping down in front of her now-bewildered guest. Korra stopped herself in the nick of time, blushed, and scurried out to the bathroom to finish her morning routine.

(-)

Asami was more than grateful that Senna had run out of the old sea prune stew, though she kept her joy hidden for everyone's sake. She watched in amusement as the Water Tribe girl beside her told her parents all about their trip to the Glacier Spirits Festival – minus their kissing on the glacier. It was understandable in her eyes; she hadn't mentioned her _own_ attraction to the same sex to her father yet, despite her knowing for quite some time that she had felt this way – so she didn't assume that Korra had told _her_ parents either. Perhaps it was easier that way, at the moment. In all honesty, Asami didn't really know _what_ they were right now. Were they dating? Were they just best friends who kissed? The word _girlfriend_ hadn't left either of their lips, though she was pretty sure that the term applied to them. Regardless, she was happy with where they were, so why bother with lingo and labels for now?

Korra snapped her attention away by calling her name. She was at the doorway, eager to get moving to the next destination.

She couldn't help but smile to the woman's enthusiasm; it had been quite some time since Korra had been _this_ happy. Who was she to hinder it? She thanked Senna for the leftover steamed fish and scurried along, capturing some of Korra's energy for her own use.

Naga whined to the pair as they made their way to the front entrance, desiring nothing more than to spend the time promised to her by her human companion.

"Don't worry, Naga; you can come, too."

She hopped up and barked to Korra's offer, scampering next to the pair.

Once they were out of sight from both Korra's parents and most of the small section of the village where she lived, Korra slid her hand into Asami's gloved one. They navigated the outskirts, taking their time to enjoy the scenery around them. The trio approached a nicer looking house – compared to the rest of the ones on this side of the Rivers – with the wind at their back. Her heart raced a bit when Korra didn't release her fingers from their intertwined position. It wasn't until Korra heard the footsteps of the younger woman inside did she pull her hand away; while she knew how Master Katara had felt about them, Master Kya was a different story.

"Korra, Naga, good afternoon. Come back for more tea, have you?" Kya grinned to the two before shifting to Asami. "Oh, and who have we here?" She put her knuckles on her hips and leaned forward, as if inspecting the pale woman like a specimen in the lab – though the gesture was exaggerated.

"Oh, right! Master Kya, this is Asami Sato, from Republic City. Asami, this is Master Kya."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Asami grinned, extending her hand to the older woman before her.

"Likewise," she smiled back, accepting the invitation for a shake. "Come on in. I'm sure my mom will be thrilled to see you."

Korra nodded and ushered Asami inside. She turned to Naga, who had _just_ _managed_ to squeeze herself through the doorway, and chuckled.

"Korra," the elder exclaimed, excitement in her voice. She opened her arms to the young woman and hugged her. "I can see you've made improvements already." She grinned, sincerity in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

She bobbed her head and grinned. "I feel –" Korra tried not to focus on the gushy, flustered feeling she experienced when Asami's lips were on hers, though it was the first unfortunate thought to pop into her head. She couldn't fathom the right words in time; Naga had nudged her to the side to greet Katara with a simple rub of their cheeks.

"I've missed you, too, Naga. You seem a lot happier now that Korra's back."

She barked and wagged her tail.

"I understand the feeling." Katara stroked her white fur once more before turning her attention to the engineer. "And this must be Asami Sato."

Asami smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do," she extended her hand to the woman, "Korra has told me so much about you."

It was Korra's turn to redden. She threw an embarrassed hand behind her head and grinned, looking away when her oceans met the peridots beside her. "Well, I – uh – might have mentioned just a few things."

"You were right, Korra. She is quite lovely. I can tell just by looking at her that she has a kind heart."

Both of them flushed even more.

It didn't take long for her to pick up on everything Korra and Asami were attempting to hide. Kya stepped in to rescue the young pair. "Alright, mom; you're embarrassing them. How about we all sit down, relax, and have some tea?"

"Tea would be great," Korra and Asami replied at the same time. They looked at each other and shared a nervous smile before shifting their eyes away.

"Come. Make yourself at home." Katara waved her company on as she took her usual spot in the back right corner of the common room.

Asami took a seat on the mantle, taking in every ounce of heat possible from the fire it held.

Korra sat beside her, of course; why would she sit anywhere else?

Naga laid in the curve the three of them made. She plopped her head onto her human companion's lap, begging for attention.

Korra scratched her cheeks as they waited for the tea. A soft smile was on her face until a distant, _unfamiliar_ sound filled her ears.

"What the hell was that?" She jumped to her feet, her heartbeat speeding up.

Another boom echoed into the home, warranting Korra's burst outside.

Asami and Naga were on her heels. They all stopped a few feet from Master Katara's entrance, scanning the area.

It didn't take long for the Water Bending Masters to join them in a similar state of awareness.

A third pound – the noise more audible now – brought their attention to the north, in the same direction that Korra, Asami, and Naga had come from. A faint billow of smoke was just at the edge of her sight.

Her heart dropped to the horrible feeling in her gut.

 _No._

"Naga," Korra called to the polar bear dog beside her, complete authority in her voice. She hopped onto the now-kneeled animal and adjusted herself against Naga's bare back.

"Where are you going?"

"I have a feeling something's going on. Something _bad_."

"I'm coming with you," Asami exclaimed, crawling onto the polar bear dog before Korra could object.

"So are we."

Kya eyed her mother with hesitation.

"Maybe you should stay here, mom –"

Kya's statement was cut off when Katara Bent herself up to Naga's back. She took a spot behind Asami and gripped onto her shoulders.

"Are you coming or not, Kya?"

She paused for a moment, uncomfortable with putting her mother in danger. Another bang sounded in the distance. She knew with all her heart that Katara wasn't going to relent – though her eagerness was a bit odd to her, to be honest; she hadn't seen her _this_ riled up and ready to fight in _decades_. Perhaps it was good for her. Perhaps it wasn't. With a new wave of determination and an overwhelming need to protect her, Kya nodded and Bent herself into the spot behind her mother.

"Go, Naga, _go_!" Korra leaned forward, urging the polar bear dog into a sprint. "Hang on everyone!"

Naga took off, her feet pounding against the snowy terrain with an incomparable grace.

Korra continued pushing her torso closer and closer to her animal companion's neck, her heart racing and her eyes glued on the black smoke. A monstrous pound of another explosion shook the ground.

 _Faster, Naga,_ _faster_ _._

She gritted her teeth, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. The larger and louder the crashes got, the more worried she grew. Each step brought her towards her home.

 _Please don't let it be them._ _Please_ _don't let it be them._

She had to help somehow, even if she didn't know what was happening; she just had to do _something_. Her gut was in command. She flattened herself against Naga, her eyes watering from the whipping wind and her mind oblivious to the people in the space behind her.

 _I'm coming, mom and dad. I'm coming._

(-)


	32. Strategy

Hello all! I hope you're having a wonderful holiday! Sorry for the late update; life has been getting in the way far too often lately. But here is my gift to you; another chapter. I hope you enjoy it. ^_^

Please note that there is a bit of violence in this chapter and mild blood and gore in one or two lines. If you would like, there is a summary at the end of this chapter.

(-)

Chapter 32

 **Strategy**

The group burst over a rather large hill, Korra at the reigns. Naga was in a full speed sprint, dashing as fast as possible to whatever direction her human companion commanded her to.

"Korra, maybe we should be a bit more subtle than –"

A leap and a turn hushed Asami right up. But it wasn't the jarring motion that silenced her; it was the sight before them.

Several Southern Water Tribe people lay on the ground, motionless from their view. Their blue clothes were stark against the white snow on which they were sprawled. Some of them lay on growing pools of blood. There were a few homes in the distance that were either burning or smoking from the explosions. Chunks of the ground were destroyed around some of the bodies while others had fallen from the weapons of the aggressors nearby.

What made all of them – Naga included – freeze in their tracks were the dozens and dozens of glowing green-eyed, black-masked people surrounding them.

While quite a few Water Benders and Non-Benders remained, most of them were either too far away to know what was happening or out in Harbor City or hunting or Spirits _know_ where. All Korra knew was that they weren't _here_ where she needed them to be at the moment.

It took only seconds for their flanks to be covered.

Korra gritted her teeth. Asami was in a similar hostile state.

 _We fell right into a trap!_

"Korra, what's going on?" Katara called from behind.

She ignored it and jumped down from her polar bear dog.

" _What are you doing here?_ " Korra took commanding steps forward, some of the dueling Benders and Strikers halting upon her arrival. She carried authority in her – authority and _rage._ How _dare_ these people come into _her_ homeland, kill _her_ people, disturb _her_ peace and happiness. She was having _none_ of it; not anymore. This swell was hindered when she noticed the attackers were arranged in several circles, one of which was enveloping her parents.

"Korra?" Tonraq called to her when he noticed her step off Naga. "You need to run. Get out of here, before they get you!" He continued while trying to keep the charging Strikers at bay with massive swirls of his mighty Water Bending.

"Dad!" Korra charged toward her father until several Strikers intercepted her. She dug her feet into the snow and stopped in an offensive position a few yards away from them. She recognized one of them in an instant from his wardrobe alone, though the pulsing baton in his hand didn't hurt her identification. "Have you seriously come all this way just to find me?"

" _You?_ No. I have no interest in you. It's the woman I want." He pointed his weapon at the polar bear dog behind her.

 _There she is. After all this time, you'll finally be_ _mine_ _…_

Naga crouched and growled at him, ready to pounce on a second's notice – _despite_ the passengers on her back.

" _Which_ woman? There're three of them there."

"The young one," another Striker stepped forward, her entire face hidden by her mask. There was malice and authority in her young voice. "Hand over Sato and no one else will die here."

Warship glanced at her, their intentions unknowingly different.

A faint groan echoed behind the pair of Strikers as another Water Bender fell to the chi blocking assailants. They turned their attention to Korra's parents, watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Stay alert. And don't let them get close to you," Asami whispered to the Water Benders behind her as she slid off of Naga.

Katara squinted, disbelief in her eyes.

 _Is that…_ _chi_ _blocking_ _?_

Naga protested, but Asami buried a reassuring hand into the animal's white fur. "I'll be fine." She turned to the two Strikers, noting in the back of her mind just how many were surrounding her allies as a whole.

 _I was right. They had at_ _least_ _triple what we fought in Republic City._

She joined Korra's seven and crossed her arms. "What do you want with me?"

"We're here to bring you back to Republic City."

" _Why?_ "

"There's been a reward placed for your safe return back to the City."

Asami raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Reward? What reward?"

"Yuans. _Money._ A hundred thousand of them."

"By _who_?" Korra butted in, taking a protective step forward.

"Hiroshi Sato." The female Striker responded. She dug a rolled up piece of paper from her inner pocket and tossed it to the pair, folding her arms in a similar fashion as the engineer's afterwards.

Asami's hands fell to her sides as she watched the sheet bounce over to her feet. She picked it up and unfurled it, scanning over the characters rather quickly. "My _father_ put this out?"

She nodded. "Posted it all over the City. Said you've been missing for several days. He didn't get any word from you and the police are getting nowhere in their search, so he put a reward up for your safe return." The Striker advanced a pace.

Korra slid in front of Asami just a bit – enough to block the stranger if she needed to.

 _If he filed a police report, wouldn't Lin have mentioned it to me?_

 _Unless he filed it_ _after_ _we were together._

 _Or he never filed a damn thing._

 _He's_ _not_ _working with the Strikers, Asami. He can't be._

 _Oh, and your weak benefit of the doubt is enough to make you believe this, huh?_

 _Yes, it_ _is_ _. Maybe Lin was just too busy to know about the report. Her people are_ _dying_ _. She has more important things to worry about._

 _And_ _why_ _is it that her people are dying?_

 _He… he would never condone this. My father is_ _not_ _a vicious murderer._

 _But_ _these_ _people are. And they want to take you away to him. Is that really a coincidence?_

She paused a moment, trying to deal with the turmoil inside of her. Her mind flipped back and forth between the possibilities, her doubt and benefit of the doubt combating. "I don't believe you," she growled, though she wasn't sure if it was directed at the Strikers or at herself.

"How did you even find us? Why would you even _bother_ coming all the way here if he posted this for the entire City to find?" Korra stepped in, just as confused on the matter.

"You don't think there aren't others trying to get here: thugs, lowlifes, poor folk? They're all scrambling to find you _just_ to get that money, searching every corner of Republic City for you. We just happened to be quicker and better at tracking." She paused at the sound of another person falling. This time, it was one of her own. She took a breath to steady herself, a part of her wanting this violence to stop at any cost; she did not want to be in the Southern Water Tribe right now, not under _these_ circumstances. She scoffed inside at her own weakness that brought her here and gathered her thoughts. "Look, Asami, your father misses you. He's _worried_ about you and he hasn't heard from you in _days_. He just wants to see that you're safe and not dead in a gutter somewhere."

"Then I'll send him a message." She crumpled the advertisement up and threw it back at the Striker's feet.

"That's not going to be good enough. We didn't come all the way here for a rejection." Warship snarled back.

 _We came for_ _vengeance_ _._

"He wants you in person, Asami – returned to him in one piece." The other Striker continued, retrieving the note from the snow.

Sentai eyed the woman beside him, malice in his stance.

 _She's not going to just going to_ _oblige_ _, Ruby. Not until you get to the snow savage. And while you do that…_

"And _why_ would I go with you?!" Asami lurched forward, her hands balled into fists. She stopped just short of Korra's position. Her arms were shaking as her thoughts pounded into each other. "What makes you think I would just let you take me willingly after everything you've done? Especially _you_." She pointed to the man behind Ruby. "Warship, Sentai – _whatever_ the fuck you want to call yourself. Why would I _ever_ trust you after what you've put us through?"

"Because if you don't come with us, more people are going to die."

The sound of a scream at the hands of an electric glove radiated through the air. The plummet of the body into the snow echoed in Asami's ears.

She looked around at the people surrounding her: the Strikers, charged and ready to attack, Korra's parents, who were fighting for their lives against the _many_ aggressors coming their way, the bodies and burning houses in the distance. She had wondered to herself how it was even possible for Water Benders to be losing this fight; this was their terrain, their _home_ , after all, and for Spirits sake, they were surrounded by _water_ to Bend.

But part of her realized that not _everyone_ here were Benders when she saw a woman and child chased down by a man with an electric cable. He chucked it at the pair. It extended from its metal containment and wrapped itself around the mother upon impact with her back, binding and shocking her at the same time. She collapsed into the snow, unconscious with her sobbing daughter tight in her arms.

It was the sound of another explosive and the slice of a hidden blade into an older Water Bender's gut at impeccable speed that she grasped why this was a battle and not a slaughter by the Southern Water Tribe; while many of the Benders were able to hold their own, some of them couldn't withstand the tricks the Strikers were pulling out of thin air. She noticed a particularly fast Striker avoid a massive wave Bent at him while tossing a device at the Bender's feet, successfully blowing the middle-aged woman to bloody bits before she could even notice it.

Asami couldn't help but cringe to the sights and the sounds around her. Sentai was _serious_ about people dying if she didn't go with them.

When her eyes fell on the back of Korra's head, she had lost her raging fire.

 _Maybe they're right. Maybe I should go with them._

 _This could be a trap, Asami. They could be using you to get to your father or to bargain with him, to have him make more weapons for them in order to ensure your safety._

 _Or he could have ordered them to do it._ Another side of her stepped in. _He could have threatened to_ _stop_ _making them weapons unless they found you and brought you back._

 _He's not making them weapons!_

 _If they_ _are_ _telling the truth, it's a bit justified, don't you think? You should have written him some sort of letter or phoned him or_ _something_ _to let him know you were alright. In actuality, Asami, this falls on you._

 _I – I was too focused on finding Korra…_

 _And look where that's gotten you._

Asami gritted her teeth.

 _People are going to die, right here and right now, if you don't surrender yourself to them._

 _But how do I know that they won't just kill the people anyways, once they capture me?_

 _If this is a rouse, they could have your father, too. Don't you want to go back home? Make sure he's safe?_

 _No. Not like this, at least._

 _Then people are going to die. They are going to destroy as much of the Southern Water Tribe as they can, and you_ _know_ _Sentai won't stop until Korra and her parents and every other Water Bender is dead._

Her eyes flicked between Korra and Warship. It was enough to make her falter.

 _Maybe I should surrender and spare their lives, spare_ _Korra's_ _life._

 _And if it's a trick? If they attack despite you giving yourself up?_

 _Well, there's only one way to find out._

"Fine," she put on her most pathetic, defeated expression. "You win. I'll go with you. Please, just don't hurt anyone else."

 _That was easy enough._

Ruby lifted her hand in relief, throwing a signal into the air. Several of her comrades came forward, surrounding the four of them. "Take her away."

"No!" Korra stepped in front of Ruby, her arms outstretched in a protective fashion. "You're _not_ taking Asami. I – I won't let you!"

"Korra, this is _my_ choice. Think of how many people I would save in the Southern Water Tribe by doing this."

"And think of how many people are going to get _killed_ because of this. Do you really think they're going to stick to their word?" She turned her head to her shoulder, as if to face Asami, but she kept her eyes on the Strikers in front of her. "Especially _him_." She nodded towards Sentai. "He tried to _kill_ me, Asami. He tried to kill _all_ of us. I gave him a chance, I loosened my hands, and he impaled me with his baton and almost _killed_ me." She bore into his glowing green eyes with fire in her own. "No, I can't let them take you. If you want to go back to Republic City to see your dad, then I'll take you there myself. Fuck the reward money. I don't care if I have to swim all the way there with you on my back. I will _not_ let them lay a finger on you."

"This is your last chance to walk freely, Asami."

Korra narrowed her position, prepared to lunge on cue. "More people will die if you surrender, Asami. All they care about is the money. They don't care about _you_. And I'm sure if you get injured, they're just going to cover up your wounds to claim their prize. But you're _not_ a prize, Asami. You're a _person_ , a person who should be treated with respect, not bought from a bunch of criminals with ransom money. I know your dad is worried about you, but is this really the way you want this to go? Besides, think of what they'll do with that money. They'll get more weapons, kill more people than before. They could eradicate every Bender in Republic City and start expanding. This is our chance to _stop_ them before they get worse and worse. _Look_ at all of them. If we shut them down here, their numbers will be hurt in the City. Then you won't have to go back to _them_ ; you can go back to your family and your friends. You can go back with _me_." She straightened and turned to Asami, caught up in her own emotions. "Please, don't do this."

Asami opened her mouth to argue when the weapon caught her eye. She shifted into an aggressive stance in what felt like slow motion as she yelled "Korra, look out". She grabbed Korra's wrist and pulled her out of the path of Sentai's sweeping baton, his movement more of an attempt to grab Korra by the neck than to hurt her.

 _Warship, you_ _idiot_ _!_ Ruby scowled him under her mask: it was bad enough that he went _against_ the original stealthy plan and set the explosives off sooner than she wanted – forcing her to adjust her strategy to a trap instead of an ambush – but _now_ he was acting completely out of line. He was _ruining_ the mission, a mission that she didn't even want to _go_ on.

Korra rotated from the yank until she was back to back with Asami. "See, Asami. They don't want us to survive. They just want you. They're going to kill us no matter what you choose to do."

Warship smirked and poised himself. He threw a signal into the sky. Several of the Strikers loyal to his command lunged forward.

Before Ruby knew it, she was shifting into an aggressive stance that she didn't want to be in, the rest of the Strikers continuing their assault on the Southern Water Tribe with her own, ghosted and forced order. It was the only thing she _could_ do to ensure the mission was completed after Warship's buffoonery.

So she braced herself and prepared for the battle to come.

The Strikers came rushing in different patterns, weaving in and out in an unpredictable scheme. Some of them bore electric gloves while others used just their fingers to fight. Faint shimmers of hidden blades caught the light of the somewhat-darkened sun. The circle around Korra and Asami started to close in when Naga smashed through the lines. Much to Korra's surprise, Naga didn't stop running; she plowed through the others as fast as she could to avoid their chi blocking jabs, though a few of them did hit enough of their marks to slow her down.

Once the flash of furry white was gone, two women in blue robes stood before her, arms and legs at the ready.

Ruby stared at the Water Benders in a state of disbelief, recognizing the eldest immediately.

 _Katara?_

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't the _only_ one to notice the great Water Bending Master. Warship tightened his grip on his baton and gritted his teeth.

 _Katara._

Within an instant, Katara and Kya were Bending water at their foes, hurtling some of them away while others dodged the attacks. Katara moved at a speed that no one – even her own daughter – expected, using large waves and massive attacks to try and subdue the Strikers. While it worked for the slower enemies, the quicker ones either sprinted around it or – somehow – right through the base, almost as if their bodies were repelling the liquid. Kya moved the water around her in several whipping circles, keeping her perimeter clear as the aggressors closed in. They took Asami's advice and tried to keep the Strikers as _far_ away as possible.

Korra and Asami clenched their jaws and waited for the Strikers to get within attacking range, having no other options. When two of them were close enough, the pair played off of each other, each rolling forward under their attacks. They latched onto the wrist of their main assailant and rotated on the ball of their feet, sending the men flying into each other in one powerful collision. One groaned on the ground while the other didn't make a sound. The duo stood right back into their original position – their spines almost touching – ready for the next assault. Six of them came charging in at once, though two were taken down by Kya and frozen to the ground. Still, it was enough to separate them, and once they were apart, the Strikers moved in to keep it that way.

Tonraq and Senna were fighting in an almost combined style of the other four: Tonraq used strong attacks while Senna stood more on the defensive, trying to keep a good amount of distance between themselves and the Strikers; if anyone had firsthand experience with the feeling of losing both their ability to Bend _and_ move at the hands of the Strikers, it was _them_. They Bent back to back, occasionally playing off of the other with a controlled, enveloping swirl of a single stream of water. Like his daughter, Tonraq was protective of the woman he loved, and stepped in to redirect attack after attack. It seemed as though the more enemies he took down with his waves of water and precise icicle collisions, the more there were to replace them.

Though the other Benders around him were experienced, they had never dealt with such a fast and elusive foe. The elders held them off for a while, but their old age and lack of practice started to get the best of them. As the enemies swarmed in, some of them were rendered confused and useless with chi blocking. Others were electrified with the mechanical gloves or bound with shocking cables after missing an attack by _hairs_. They were not prepared for such an adversary, and when one thought about it, the Strikers were the perfect match for the Water Benders: while they were powerful in their ability to control water, their strength came from large, distanced attacks and redirecting one's energy back to them. Water Bending was not a closed-quarters style for many of them, and the nearer the Strikers got, the harder it proved to defend themselves against the aggressors. Every attempt to freeze them to the ground was dodged. When it got to the point that large movements wouldn't work, smaller flicks of the arms and wrists were their only hope. This, though, was not sufficient. It was the Strikers' speed and quick jabbing ability that gave them the advantage – once they made their way through the monstrous waves and ice daggers, of course. After that, the Strikers made short work of the Benders. Once one arm or leg was down, the rest came with ease.

It wasn't hard for Katara to see this; Tonraq and Senna weren't the _only_ ones who had firsthand experience with chi blockers, though hers was in the distant past. Even the great Water Bending Master herself was starting to feel the pressure and struggle to keep her attackers at bay. She shot herself up into the air and rode a wave of her own creation, trying to both smother and draw out the Strikers that were attacking her away from Korra, Asami, and her daughter.

Kya eyed her with worry, unsure of whether to help her mother or assist the Non-Benders beside her. The amount of Strikers splitting between Katara and the pair were about even; the man with the baton went after Katara while the woman trying to persuade Asami to surrender attacked Asami directly. She gritted her teeth, distracted in her dilemma. A quick jab came close to her, and while she parried it, the hit was precise enough to block some of the chi in her left forearm. She used the mangled feeling in her limb to shift the ice under her, which sent her, Korra, and Asami up into the air on a platform while pushing away some of the Strikers at the same time. She rotated and sent a surge of water around her, knocking off two of the aggressors charging at the younger duo. They plummeted several feet until they collided with the ground next to Ruby. With another shift, she froze a third attacker to the ground, unable to do much else with her left arm now that the chi block set in.

While it kept the electric gloves and jabbing away, Kya's ice pillar was no match for the portable explosives at the Striker's disposal. They tossed the chemical devices at the base of the platform and slammed on a trigger the moment they made contact. The support cracked and crumbled underneath them, a spotted forest of assailant's waiting below.

"Hang on!" Kya used her right arm to Bend some of the ice under Korra and Asami into a wave that pushed them farther from the destroyed structure. Kya crashed into the ground, landing on her functioning arm in a contorted fashion.

Korra and Asami met much of the same fate, though the severity of their impact was lessened through the rolls they managed to pull out. They hopped up into aggressive stances as several more Strikers, led by their female commander, charged at them. Korra glanced over her shoulder for just a second at the Water Bender who had saved them from the explosion.

The Strikers swooped in on Kya, surrounding her and dipping in and out to throw off her pattern. While she was on her feet trying to fight, she was no match for their speed with her limited abilities. She maintained several swirling rings of water around her, but her movements were no longer fluid. She was on the defensive, trying to fend off the quick attacks. One slip and another jab collided with her left arm. A third one followed, forcing the numbed limb to hang at her side, useless. She did her best to fight with her near-broken right arm, but there were just too many of them. They swarmed her, nine fast shots to shut her body down. She fell into the snow, unable to move. All she could do was watch as most of the Strikers charged towards her mother, unable to do a damn thing to help her. Two of them remained, tying her arms behind her back and lifting her to drag her away.

Tonraq and Senna were close to meeting a similar fate. While the former was trained to handle this intensity of combat, it had been _years_ since he's had to practice it to such a degree, minus the incident in Republic City and the attack on the Southern Water Tribe about fourteen years ago. He shook that day from his head and tried to focus, sweat pouring from his brow. Senna wasn't a Warrior. She could defend herself, that was for sure, but she was always more of a Healer and a peace bringer than she was a fighter; she preferred to use her words over her brawn.

And in this battle, it was beginning to show.

She found it more and more difficult to keep the Strikers at bay. She Bent a wall of ice around her and her husband, hoping to uphold a barrier for them to catch their breaths. But it took only seconds for their explosives to tear it down in her exhaustive state. They had been fighting the Strikers for too long, ever since the first explosion drew them from their home. Their attackers started to play off their weakness. They left themselves open to draw Tonraq out. Once the distance between the couple was great enough, they surrounded Senna and cut Tonraq right off from her.

By the time he could get to her, she had been chi blocked.

He rode a current similar to Katara's to clear some of the Strikers out of the way. Several of them discharged their electric gloves while stuck in his wave. The shock went right up to him, forcing its way through his soaked boots and pants. He tumbled to the jolt and rolled through the snow before he could get to his wife. He shot right up when he saw them grab her and tie her hands behind her back. With a new momentum, he Bent stream after stream of water at the aggressors in an almost-blind rage. The ones who weren't rendered unconscious from the impact with the ground or weren't frozen where they stood got right back up, unaffected from the cold or the brute force. The water rolled right off of their suits, keeping them dry and warm. He gritted his teeth and charged at them, a bit _too_ hot-headed in his movements.

His frustration and desire to protect his family got the best of him.

A younger Striker managed to slip through his attacks, sliding on the ground until he grabbed onto Tonraq's foot. He sent a pulse up his calf before the Bender could free himself. While the shock didn't do much, it stunned him for just enough time to allow several other assailants to come in. They made fast work of his arms and once he couldn't Bend, the legs went, too.

Tonraq watched with horrified eyes as the Strikers attacking him closed in on Korra. He growled at the people tying his hands behind his back, wanting nothing more than to defend his wife and child.

"Korra!"

(-)

Summary: Korra, Asami, Katara, Kya, and Naga burst over a hill to find many, many Strikers near Korra's home. They are attacking her parents and the other villagers. Several houses are smoking and on fire. There are bodies scattered around from successful Striker attacks of both Benders and Non-Benders. Due to their speed and technology, the Strikers are proving a formidable foe to the Southern Water Tribe. Korra steps off of Naga to go save her parents (who tell her to run) when she is intercepted by Warship and Ruby. Warship claims they want the woman (while pointing to the people on Naga's back) and Ruby specifies that they want Asami. Asami slides off Naga and approaches them. She learns from Ruby that they were there because her father had put a reward out for her safe return and tossed her a copy of the flier. They had come here to retrieve Asami and threatened to kill more people if she did not. Asami has inner turmoil over whether or not to trust or believe the Strikers and the battle between whether her father is working with them or not resurfaces inside of her. When she glances up, she notices more people in the Southern Water Tribe being slaughtered around her. She decides to surrender to spare their lives and to spare /Korra's/ life. Korra, of course, refuses this, making claims that, if Asami wanted to return to Republic City to see Hiroshi again, then she could go with Korra. At this point, she softens and faces Asami, trying to get her point across that the Strikers are bad news and that, if they stop them here, they could save a lot of lives in Republic City. Warship tries to grab Korra with his baton to use her as a bargaining chip, but Asami notices this and pulls Korra from his reach. They end up back to back and Korra reaffirms how they don't care about anything, they just want Asami and the money.

A battle ensues. As the Strikers rush over to Korra and Asami, Naga plows through them and is mildly chi blocked as she continues to run past them. Kya and Katara hop off of Naga at this point and start to help protect Korra and Asami. Tonraq and Senna are slowly weakened as other, older Water Benders and Non-Benders fall around them. Katara tries to draw some of the Strikers off, effectively leading half of them away from Korra, Asami, and Kya - Warship included. Kya tries to protect Korra and Asami, but her left arm is chi blocked in the process of her distraction. She Bends them onto an ice platform, but the Strikers blow it away with explosives. Kya uses her good arm to send Korra and Asami on a wave away while she crashes to the ground, injuring her good arm. The Strikers move in, and although she is able to defend them for a while, she succumbs to their attacks and is chi blocked. Her arms are bound behind her back and she is taken away. Senna and Tonraq end up in a similar fate. The Strikers lure Tonraq away from Senna and chi block her. Tonraq charges at them in a blind rage and ends up chi blocked and restrained as well. He's forced to watch the Strikers run towards Korra to attack her, unable to do a damn thing to protect his family.


	33. Choose

Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay in posting this story and updating the Korrasami Month fic; I've been consumed with final exams, thesis work, and the holidays the past few weeks. But now that the semester is officially over (as of this morning) and I'm not working over break, I'll be updating more often. I plan on writing the new chapter for the final Korrasami Month prompt (Hands) tomorrow to update that. Then, that fic will sit until the next Korrasami week. History will continue to update, and once it's done, the first chapter of The Arts will be filled in. Hopefully by then, I'll have finished the first part of The Arts, but alas, only time will tell.

I would like to thank everyone for their continual patience as I try to get my life together.

In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter! It's a good one, if I must say so myself. ^_^

(-)

Chapter 33

 **Choose**

Korra and Asami were overwhelmed, to say the least. They played off of each other in defense alone, dipping and dodging in unison to avoid their attackers. Any Striker that Asami flipped or threw got right back up. Korra couldn't manage to land a single punch or kick on them.

With precise movements, the Strikers drew the pair away from each other under Ruby's guidance. Before they knew it, they had their own little circles of Strikers enveloping them.

Perhaps it was better this way – at least, for Korra.

It seemed as though they _still_ underestimated her, even after everything she had managed to do to them in Republic City. She blamed it on the female Striker; she wasn't there when Korra took the Strikers down, so of _course_ she wouldn't expect much of her. Any thoughts that she may have had faded away, consumed by the fire growing and burning inside of her. She slipped and parried with ease as her mind moved more and more into concentration. The flames raged, intensifying with each dodge.

Soon, she started landing her hits.

One punch to the face brought a Striker down and left a bit of bruising on her knuckles.

Another worsened the bruising but bettered her odds.

She was sending Striker after Striker to the ground and she had _no_ idea how that was even possible. Besides her mother, perhaps, she was the worst fighter of them all; they've all been trained in advanced forms of combat, while her Non-Bending skills were _maybe_ above average.

Or so it seemed.

Maybe she was wrong about herself this whole time. Maybe there was something _more_ to her – scratch that. Maybe there _is_ something more to her.

She clung onto this notion and let the fires well up in her. Whatever they were doing, whatever force was controlling her, it was helping her. And at this moment, she didn't give a single flying fuck what force that was.

If only Asami and Katara were having similar luck.

These Strikers were much, _much_ more skilled than the ones Asami fought back in Republic City. They were quicker, more precise, and more in sync than the others had been. Ruby was giving her the most trouble, coming in at opportune moments and changing any sort of parry she managed with a deflection of her own. Despite Ruby's many attempts to throw Asami off balance by redirecting her energy, Asami kept on her feet and maintained her center of gravity. She wasn't about to go down that easy; she was Asami _fucking_ Sato.

As if on cue to her thoughts, the attacks against her became sharper, each one missing by less than a few inches.

Asami changed her mentality and dodged and dipped, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to do this forever. But that was okay, because she picked up on their little scheme and alternating flow. Attention to detail was on her side, as it was for _most_ of the things she did.

 _Even if I can manage just one blow to throw them off –_

One Striker exposed his core after she stepped out of the way, though the revealing wasn't intentional on his part.

She sent a powerful knee right up into his ribs, feeling them crack under her force. Asami grabbed onto his shoulders and spun on her feet, using the injured man as a shield for the jabs that were meant for her back. He grunted as he took the hits. She pushed him forward with a front kick, his weight alone enough to bring that Striker down. She didn't have time to celebrate; hell, she almost didn't have time to get her footing back before another enemy barreled her way. She rolled out of his path and, fortunate for her, his glove collided with another foe that was trying to grab a hold of her. He shocked him just enough to render him unconscious. She rotated from another set of shots, parrying the man's forearms with her own to avoid the pointed fingers. While she didn't understand it in its entirety, she knew one thing for sure: she did _not_ want to get chi blocked again. _Ever_.

Katara had long lost the wave she had been riding on, though she did manage to take a fair number of Strikers out before she landed back on the ground. She had her water tentacles around her, using them to try and fend off the incoming attackers. When this didn't prove to be a match to their speed, she rotated her body and spun her arms around until she created a vortex of water around herself. Several foes got stuck in the cyclone while the rest just waited on the outside for her attack to stop. She pushed the twister out, sending most of the aggressors far away while knocking others over with the blast. There were some still on their feet that charged her the moment they could penetrate the barrier.

Katara lifted her hands above her head, generating a large amount of water from the icy ground itself. While this took care of the Strikers in front of her, the ones behind her closed in on her flanks. She lowered her hands to her hips and brought them up at a diagonal as she turned to face them, catching the close ones and freezing them in place. She was panting as more fluttered in, and to be honest, she was getting _tired_. It had been a long, long time since she had fought like this. And while she liked to keep her skills sharp and her body in shape, age was not her friend in this battle.

Regardless, she _refused_ to surrender.

The village needed her. Kya needed her. _Korra_ needed her. And she took a vow to Sokka a long time ago that she would _never_ turn her back on someone that needed her. She shot icicles from the frozen chunk of Strikers to the ones pursuing her to give herself a chance to scope out the situation. There were fallen members of the Southern Water Tribe everywhere – Benders and Non-Benders alike. She noticed the Chief and his wife down for the count, as well as Kya. Korra – much to everyone's surprise but her own – was doing the best of them all. Asami was in a bit of trouble, much like herself. Her face narrowed in determination. She prepared to lift herself over her pursuers to reach them when one Striker – one _man_ in particular, stepped in her way.

Katara just _barely_ avoided the tip of the baton that whizzed by her face.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this day." Warship grinned, baton at the ready. "Ever since you and your _disgusting_ , snow savage brother took my father and sister away from me, I've been _dying_ for the chance to get revenge."

Katara gathered herself, though she kept a rather aggressive stance. Confusion was on her wrinkled face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of _course_ you don't." His voice grew angry, his own old skin scrunched up from his snarl. "Why _would_ you remember? It wasn't _your_ family that was ripped away from you!" He hollered, electric stick whipped down to his side.

The other Strikers strengthened their circle but refrained from attacking.

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I don't even know you."

"No, you don't." He took a step to the side, urging Katara to match it. "But _I_ know _you_." They continued to walk in a circle, the embodiment of rage from Warship met with befuddlement from Katara. "Sixty-five years ago, you and your _brother_ helped the Avatar disband my family. You all took my father and sister away to prison. I never got to see them again. It broke my mother's heart, and it broke mine, too. And now, I'll break _yours._ "

"Sixty-five years ago?" She muddled to herself. Her eyes widened when the realization hit her. "Your family was part of the Mokin-Rui, weren't they? The people who supported Ozai and tried to _assassinate_ us time and time again? What other choice did I have but help my brother investigate? They were killing innocent people and killing Earth Benders, all in support of Fire Nation control over the colonies."

"The Earth Kingdom had been resisting the Fire Nation for decades when it was clear that people of the Fire Nation were _far_ superior to those dirt throwers, and far superior to the _snow savages_ down south."

Katara gritted her teeth, an old fire sparking inside of her. "Sokka and I saved lives by what we did. Maguma and the rest of the Mokin-Rui were only causing problems."

"We were trying to get back to our families, trying to get back the land that we had grown up on."

"Is that what you tell yourself at night to justify your family _killing_ people?"

"Why not justify myself with the truth? My father was out at sea in the Fire Nation Navy. He just wanted to come home, but you and your brother and the _Fire Lord Zuko_ ," he said in a mocking tone, "and the Avatar wouldn't let him. He didn't attack until he was provoked. The same with my sister. They were taken away when all they wanted to do was return from the war."

"And perpetuate the violence of Ozai's followers _against_ the new Fire Lord. The people we detained were a threat to the safety of others, some of which were captured for _severe war crimes_ against the Nations. Or did you just forget about the atrocities the Fire Nation committed during its assault on the globe? Genocide, segregation, destruction, murder, raping, pillaging… how do you justify and ignore those actions done during the war by saying 'they just wanted to go home' at the end of it? We _all_ did, but some of us didn't have homes to go back to after what the Fire Nation soldiers did. Besides, how can you possibly know what your family was doing without seeing it firsthand like _I_ did? Were you _there_ when everything happened or did someone just spew these lies to you and you ate them up like candy?"

"Are you calling my mother a _liar_?" He growled, stepping closer to Katara in their slow circle. "My mother got the report. It was all she needed to know that _you_ were to blame. It wasn't long until she died of a broken heart and I got shipped away as an orphan because of it. So I set on a quest to find you and to _kill_ you and Sokka and everyone else who was involved in my family's demise." Warship lifted his baton and pointed it at Katara. "You were my original target all those years ago, and I was sure that attacking Kyoshi Island would draw you and Sokka out. Instead, we just got him and the _Avatar_. It was no matter, though; we still managed to destroy that _bitch_ of a Kyoshi Warrior that he called his wife."

Her face fell into shock. " _You? You_ were with the Shinote when they attacked the Island?"

"Who do you think _orchestrated_ it? I might have been young, but it didn't stop me and Maguma from doing what we had to do."

Katara stopped circling, staring at the Striker in disbelief.

He halted as well, baton resting on his shoulder. "It's a shame, though, that _I_ wasn't the one who got to kill Sokka instead of those Bending terrorists fourteen years ago. It would have been a _much_ sweeter victory if it had been him instead of _Suki_."

Her hands were shaking. Red was creeping into her eyes. "How _dare_ you."

"How dare I? How _dare I?_ " He chuckled, warranting the concerned glances between his Striker comrades. "I'm only speaking the truth. Fuck Suki. Fuck Sokka. And fuck _you_ for what you've done to my family. I've waited _decades_ for this opportunity, and while I wasn't the one who killed Sokka, I will _at least_ get to kill _you_!" He charged at Katara, hate burning in his heart. The others in his circle followed suit, though they didn't do so without a pause of mild concern.

Katara dodged them the best she could, a new form of energy washing over her. This had gone from mere self-defense and protection to something _very_ personal. She Bent her water like the Master that she was, ensnarling some of the Strikers in custom ice pillars while blasting others away from her. She tried to keep a distance between herself and Warship, but this was proving to be more and more difficult. He was faster than she could have ever imagined, and his close range of striking made it harder for her to keep him away. Soon, the other adversaries became a distant worry as she tried to avoid the buzzing blade of his baton.

The Strikers around Korra were starting to thin out, though she didn't notice this all that much; she was much too 'in the zone' to care how many people came her way. Parry after parry. Dodge after dodge. Blocks and kicks and punches and rolls. She felt unstoppable. The flames were burning through every inch of her, its orange tint touching the corners of her eyes as she battled. It was when she tossed one Striker into another that the sight hit her eyes.

Asami was in trouble. _Deep_ trouble. While she was managing to keep the Strikers at bay, she was getting exhausted, and Korra could see it in her eyes. Ruby was narrowing in on Asami, getting inches and inches closer to her person. She had to be fighting almost double what Korra had taken down, with the addition of what appeared to be one of the best fighters in their entire group.

Korra wanted to sprint over there to protect her, to help in some way – _any way_ – that she could. Her heart pounded and ached to be by her side, pulling some of the attention and brunt of the battle away from the engineer. But she knew it would be of no use. There were still too many people around her. There was no way she could get to Asami in time. She flicked over to Master Katara, one of her two allies who were still standing that she could see. Sentai was on the prowl, moving in on her while the other Strikers were mere pawns in his game. While she was a great Water Bender – probably the greatest Water Bender of all time, in Korra's eyes – this was getting to be overwhelming. The electric baton, with its little blade sticking out, was getting _much_ too close to the woman's chest.

Her own core throbbed and buzzed at the memory of the electrified feeling from his weapon. She looked over at Asami in what seemed to be slower and slower motion, as if time was freezing just to prolong her suffering. Each simmering moment brought the female Striker closer to nailing a debilitating blow on Asami. She switched back to Master Katara, realizing she was facing the same fate. Korra made short work of the men attacking her, rotating and flipping them without a second thought. They slammed into the ground, some with broken noses and ribs from her punches and kicks, others just bouncing right back up to continue the onslaught. Every spin, every pivot brought her to a different sight of someone close to her nearing defeat.

Asami took the brunt of a punch to the stomach and staggered. She kept on her feet and continued to fight with as much force as she could.

Katara got a slit on her right arm as she tried to dodge the baton, though her rotation did allow her to push more Strikers away with her Water Bending.

It was getting too close. Korra felt helpless as she watched it all unfurl. She cleared the Strikers around her, finally able to get herself free and help one of her friends.

But _who?_

How could she possibly choose between them? The woman who supported her as a child or the woman who supported her as a teen? The woman she grew up with or the woman she fell in love with? Her best friend or her other best friend? Her mentor or her lover?

It tore her from the inside out, time slowing down as the battle raged inside of her. The flames breached her control, flicking red into her sight as she watched each of them take another hit.

 _You have to do something._

 _But what?_

 _You can't just stand there._

 _But how?_

 _Move, Korra. You're wasting_ _time_ _._

 _But who?_

 _They're_ _both_ _going to die if you don't do something._

 _Move._

 _Move._

 _Move!_

 _What are you waiting for?_

 _Who's it going to be?_

 _Katara? Or Asami?_

Asami takes another hit.

 _Katara? Or Asami?_

Katara takes another hit.

 _Katara or Asami_ _?_

 _I can't. I can't choose. How can I only save one of them? I love them both too much._

 _You'd_ _better_ _choose._

 _If you don't act, then you'll lose them both._

 _Choose._

The female Striker closed in on Asami, arm curled over her shoulder to land an incapacitating blow to Asami's neck.

 _Choose._

Sentai stepped around Katara's stream, baton poised to stab her in the throat.

 _Choose._

 _What can I even do from here? I can't save either of them. I waited too long. It's too late._ _I'm_ _too late._

 _No_ _, you're_ _not_ _._

The flames consumed her, shifting from a light orange to a burning, blinding white flash of heat. The red in the corners of her eyes was replaced by sparks. She took in a deep breath and planted her feet into the ground to steady her stance. Time slowed further. Her fists joined at her abdomen, the energy within herself pooling from her toes and her head into her stomach. She glanced between the two of her friends. The turmoil roared inside of her. She lifted her hands up her center, her arms moving at a subconscious level.

Her enemies inched closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Korra shut her lids, shut her entire _mind_ off, everything breaking down in her body and reforming into something new – some pure form of instinct and adrenaline and rage and ire and sun.

And it was _exactly_ what she needed.

Her hands separated by a few inches at her chest until her thumbs were in line with her shoulders. She drew from the flames, drew from the power within her. Her inner sun _burned_ with the need to protect the people she loved _._ She opened her eyes and shot each arm out from her chest, aiming at the Strikers attacking Asami and Katara. Two large, strong streams of massive fire left her knuckles as she shifted her energy, letting it all extend from her limbs out to the enemies in her sights.

Every jaw in the village dropped. The Strikers that were hauling the Benders away froze in their steps. Tonraq, Senna, and Kya watched on from different distances, baffled at what just crossed their eyes.

Korra was in a similar state; she had never Fire Bended something _this_ powerful before, her rage accented with a touch of power from her internal sun. Her blast at Kuru was like a flick of flame compared to this, her sparking fist against the stone pole a mere blink of heat. She took a step back, staring at her fists as the frustration and sun she pulled from faltered. She had done it; she shot Fire from her fists, something she had been trying to do for _days_ – though the flames were, once again, based more on rage instead of control.

 _Although…_

She tried to convince herself otherwise, claiming that this burst had more control, more drive over it than her last. But considering her last real flames were also her first, she tossed the defense away. Korra could tell, just by how drained she felt afterwards, that this _still_ wasn't the right way to Fire Bend. Though she was closer to her sun than before, the ratio of ire was _still_ too high. Regardless, her head started to spin from her efforts.

 _Focus. You don't need this right now. Think about it later. Shut it off, shut it_ _down_ _._

She did as she was told, bringing her attention back to the battle at hand. Her authority, her power flowed back into her veins, back to the place where it _belonged_ – part of her decided.

Korra watched the flames charge at the aggressors. The force of them was enough to push most of the Strikers – Sentai and Ruby included – right out of attacking range. They plummeted and rolled away, giving Asami and Katara the chance they needed to recover.

They took up arms against the Strikers.

Katara washed her assailants away with massive sweeps of water, freezing them on contact to rid them of their chance at standing back up.

Asami rolled and ducked and dodged and parried every single attack thrown her way, her newfound strength and drive allowing her to counter each of these into a stunning or debilitating move and power through her conflicting insides.

Ruby rose to her feet, disbelief in her posture. Part of her mask was burned – some of it charred into dust while the edges stuck to her skin – but it made no difference to her. She examined the situation, watching Katara and her target all along rise up to power in the fight. While they had taken out and captured many more Water Benders than she ever would have thought possible in this desolate part of the Southern Water Tribe, it wasn't enough. A good leader knows when to fall back and when to press on, and she knew in that moment, with the native girl that just _Fire Bended_ glaring at her, preparing to head her way, that this was a time to do the former. This was a stupid mission anyway, she concluded.

 _Go to the home of the Water Benders, fight through them, bring back my daughter,_ Ruby mocked Hiroshi in her head, frustrated at the turn of events. _This isn't what we're about. We deal with Benders in_ _Republic City_ _, not around the world. That's our domain, not the Southern Water Tribe. What are we even_ _doing_ _here? I never should have let him talk me into this. I – I shouldn't even be here, not like this..._

She eyed her fallen comrades and those struggling to stand up.

 _If I don't do something, they're all going to die. The_ _Strikers_ _are going to die._

She glanced at Katara one last time, an ache in her heart. As much as she didn't want to flee, she sent a signal up into the air with a loud call of "retreat".

Every other Striker that was attacking fulfilled their role as a pawn and charged in on Katara and Asami, just enough to distract them while the others fled.

Korra noticed this in an instant. She traced their path to the Aakaga, where several Water Tribe boats were docked. Strikers were carrying fallen Benders away, her parents and Master Kya included.

 _Oh_ _no_ _, you don't!_

Korra sprinted towards the shore, adrenaline leading her to immediate action. She sent a loud, sharp whistle through her fingers. The shrill pitch of it was enough to get everyone's attention.

But that didn't matter to her; she only needed it to grab onto _one_ person's focus.

Or, one _polar bear dog_.

Naga came barreling in towards her human companion, having taken refuge to nurse her numbing limbs during the battle. Lucky for her, the Strikers had managed to hit just two minor points. While her running was jagged and she couldn't quite fight, it was better than anything Korra could muster speed-wise.

Korra jumped onto Naga and crawled onto her back while in motion. She tackled through some of the Strikers that were running towards Katara, given that they stood in her path west to the boats. "Help Asami," she called over her shoulder, riding her rickety polar bear dog to the shores. Korra sped towards the pair of Strikers holding her mother up and forced Naga to plow right through one of them to free Senna from their grip. She ignored the rest of the stragglers and went right for the ship furthest to her; it was the one she saw the Strikers load her father and Master Kya on.

And it was the one that was taking off.

"Come on, Naga! We have to catch up to them!" She flattened herself against Naga's neck, urging her into a sprint. She kept her eyes on the boat as it sailed up the Paniga.

 _Big mistake._

Korra directed Naga to the edge of the Aakaga, following the shoreline until it split between the two children rivers. They sprinted along the coast of the Paniga, gaining small amounts of elevation as they climbed.

 _Come on, just a little more, just a little more…_

 _Perfect._

They had caught up to the fleeing ship. Korra was at just the right height and just the right distance _ahead_ of the boat to make her move. "Jump, Naga!" She led her polar bear dog right over the edge of the cliff. They soared through the air in an arc, getting closer with each passing second. They were almost at the edge when Korra realized it wasn't enough.

So she made another move.

She flattened her feet against Naga's back and pushed off, reaching out to grab the side of the boat.

What she wasn't aware of was the flames that shot out of her feet and hands before she made her stretch for the deck, her subconscious knowing that a single jump wouldn't suffice.

Naga dove into the water short of the ship, staying afloat and ready for Korra to return.

The second of extra propulsion gave Korra just enough height to clear the edge of the ship. She rolled onto the deck and made it to her feet, white flames radiating from her core. Lucky for her, Kya and Tonraq were still on the deck.

 _Unlucky_ for her, so were the Strikers.

(-)


	34. The sun

Hello everyone! I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and, if I don't post tomorrow, a happy New Year's Day. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read and support my story throughout this year. Writing this fanfiction and getting to share it with you has definitely been the highlight of my year. I look forward to sharing more of the story with you in 2016. So here's to you, my lovely readers. You rock my socks heehee.

Happy New Year!

(-)

Chapter 34

 **The sun**

The Strikers charged at her, electric gloves poised for a shock.

Korra glanced beside her, noticing that her father and friend were not only chi blocked, but they were bounded and attached to the mast. She brought her attention back to her attackers and strengthened her stance.

She was more than ready for them.

She slipped them with ease, delivering powerful punches into their faces and strong kicks into their ribs. Korra even managed to send several of them overboard and listened as they swam away in panic of her polar bear dog below.

Tonraq and Kya watched on, unable to do a single thing to help. Tonraq was a bit groggy from the fight, the image of his daughter fending off the Strikers swirling in his eyes.

After five Strikers plummeted to the deck, the others stood back in caution, realizing just how powerful this Water Tribe girl was.

Korra took a step in front of their prisoners and crouched into an offensive stance. "Is that all you've got?"

They didn't respond, didn't even move a muscle.

All of the fighters stood, motionless, waiting for someone – _anyone –_ to make a move.

One part of Korra's gut told her to lunge forward and make short work of them. The other told her to hang back – stay as close to dad and Master Kya as possible – and wait for the Strikers to come to her.

She came to the conclusion that all of this standing around was pointless.

 _Maybe I can…_

Korra tried to focus on her chi, which had simmered just a bit inside of her with the onset of her thoughts. She grabbed a piece of it and attempted to move it out to her hands. She took a breath and wound up for a punch.

 _Please let this work._

Nothing shot out of her extended arm. If anything, the pain she intended on dealing to the Strikers shot back at her in the form of a horrible jolt in her skull. She grimaced and cried out, the power of the throb too much to keep her on her feet.

 _No…_

She dropped to one knee, holding her head with her hand while the other was flat against the deck.

The Strikers used this to their advantage and charged at her.

"No! Get _away_!" Korra pushed herself up into a spinning kick, taking the first attacker by surprise.

While he managed to dodge her heel, the Striker behind him had no such luck.

She ground her foot right into his jaw, feeling it dislodge from the force in her heel. She steadied her stance and ignored the pain in her head as she fended the assailants off. Korra was on the defensive, dipping and dodging to the best of her ability. They were closing in, pushing her farther from Tonraq and Kya and forcing her to the edge of the deck. When the back of her legs hit the ledge, she panicked.

 _Relax, Korra. You can do this. Just focus. Breathe. Breathe and extend. Let the fires consume you._

 _The fires are rage. I_ _can't_ _let them consume me. It's… it's not the right way._

 _Do you want to fall over the side of this ship?_

 _No._

 _Then let the fucking fires consume you._

 _No_ _._

Korra refused in her stubbornness, still recovering from the last time she shot fire at the Strikers in a fit of fury – though there _was_ a minor hint of her internal sun that time. Her head ached again as she tried to pull on her chi, failing to Fire Bend in the way she had been hoping to since she met Master Zuko. The pain in her skull forced her to stagger. She looked away for a moment to gather herself, her eyes coming back to a fist flying at her face.

 _Do something!_

She rolled under it, effectively moving herself out of the circle of Strikers enveloping her.

 _You can do this._

She emptied her mind for a moment, tempted to pull on the white fire within to send all of them overboard with one blast.

 _Yes, do it._ _Do_ _it._

 _No_ _!_

Instead of the hate-filled flames, she went for the sun. She felt it on her skin, felt it within herself, as hidden and somewhat weak as it was. She pictured what kept her going after all of the shit she'd been through, zipping through Master Zuko's questions in her head.

 _"What is it that keeps you going? What is it that makes you want to survive, day in and day out? What is your purpose, Korra, for being alive?"_

Her face came to sight; it was the only thing she could think of at this exact moment, and in all honesty, it was all she needed.

 _Asami._

Korra wound up, fighting through the pain in her skull. She refused to picture Asami's horrified eyes, using her reassurance in the ice tent about her Fire Bending as fuel to block the memory. Korra sucked her energy up with a draw of her breath and pushed it out of her sweeping back leg. A flame shot out of her heel and forced most of the Strikers overboard. The blaze was cut short when the rotation on the ball of Korra's stationary foot spun her towards her father and Master Kya.

They looked onto her in utter shock.

She had forgotten they were there. And now, they knew _for sure_. Her secret was out. She could Fire Bend. There was no hiding it from her dad now.

And by the look in his eyes, there was no going back from it either.

Her heart wrenched and dropped to the bottom of the river. Something blocked her internal sun, its glowing pale light burnt out to the point that even the white flames died down inside of her. She made quick work of the last two Strikers, taking advantage of the few spurts of energy left in her.

Once they were down she turned to the prisoners but avoided looking at their faces. She ran to them and crouched beside the pair, fidgeting with the metal chords wrapped around their torsos and wrists. She freed their upper bodies and they plopped onto the deck, still unable to move their limbs. Korra tried to get through the hand restraints when several more Strikers emerged from the lower levels.

There was no way in hell she would be able to fight them.

Korra panicked and pulled Kya up to her chest. She glanced over the side to see Naga swimming beside the boat.

"I'm really sorry for this." She tossed Kya over the edge. The woman plummeted and splashed into the water. Korra grabbed her father and hauled him to the ledge, wasting no time to see if Kya was safe.

She had to move, and she had to move _now_.

Korra pushed Tonraq over the side, watching him until his feet were out of sight. She turned to the Strikers, who were sprinting towards her at a rapid pace.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Fear flowed through her. Her flight instinct kicked in. She grabbed the wire used to contain their former prisoners and held it tight in her hands, hoping to somehow use it as a distraction. She picked up movement at the very corner of her eye, pulling her attention away from the charge before her. Korra looked up for a split second to see men in blue and white uniforms cascading down the glacier, propelling themselves on a wave of ice made by the Water Bender in the front.

 _The White Lotus? What the_ _hell_ _are they doing here? Did they hear the attacks all the way from the compound?_

The other members that weren't Bending called to her, though their voices didn't project, muffled by their distance and the noise around them.

 _Fuck that, how much did they_ _see_ _?_

Korra had no time to ponder it, despite her heart skipping a beat to the thought; the Strikers were getting closer and she couldn't afford to worry about how many people saw her Fire Bend. The badger mole was out of the cave for this one. She glanced at the wire in her hands and acted on instinct alone. She tossed it at the leading pursuer and bolted. They stumbled for just a second – just enough for Korra to throw herself off the boat. She screamed as she plunged, smacking into the cold river water on her side. Everything turned black for a moment, her limbs timing out from the shock of it all. She opened her eyes under the dark water as she made her descent, the chill sprawling to her core. She made out the faint image of her father and Master Kya bunched together near Naga's front.

 _She got them… they're okay… they're… alive…_

Korra sunk further, her lungs burning for oxygen that wasn't there for her to use. She reached out, her bruised knuckles and blue Water Tribe bands in her blurry sight. Her head was swirling. Sparks were forming in her eyes. Her lids started to flutter when the voice echoed into her mind.

 _Korra._

The pain was undeniable, but it was enough to snap her out of her stupor. She put her palms to her throat, dying for air. Her legs kicked without her command. She forced her way to the surface, each inch getting lighter and lighter in color until she emerged from the watery depths of her almost-death.

Korra gasped for breath, shaking and racing as she treaded water. She searched for her polar bear dog and swam to her, a relieved smile on her face. Kya was still conscious but Tonraq was out cold. For Korra's sake, it was probably the better of the four possibilities; she didn't look forward to the conversation between her and her parents about her Fire Bending that was sure to come.

She shook the thought away and grabbed hold of Naga's side, too tired to continue swimming on her own.

Naga paddled the best she could, her body in a similar state. She struggled to keep her head above water, as well as the heads of the people she was carrying in her mouth by the backs of their robes.

By the time they reached the shore, all of the docked boats were gone, _including_ the one they had stolen from Future Industries.

 _Good luck getting far on that one._

Naga and Korra crawled onto the solid ground and collapsed, panting in exhaustion. Kya and Tonraq crashed into the snow upon their release from Naga's jaw.

"Korra!" The voice of her sun penetrated her ears. She sprinted up to the group and slid next to the fallen Southerners. "Korra, are you okay?" Asami rolled her over onto her back and held her tan face in her palms. Her worried peridots met the pair of tired blues once Korra separated her lids.

"Asami," she whispered with a smile, happy to see her alive. She lifted her bruised hand up to Asami's pale cheek and held it there, appreciating Asami's warmth.

Asami relayed a gentle grin back to her, lowering herself down until their bodies touched. She almost laid her lips on Korra's but stopped herself at the last second, realizing this was most definitely _not_ the time to do such a thing. Instead, she pulled Korra into an embrace, burying her nose into Korra's salty wet hair. If anything, Asami was grateful that they were all alive, that they had made it out of the battle with the Strikers.

 _Still._

Part of her wondered what would have happened if she had just surrendered. Would they have been met with the same fate, but with her restrained and unable to help?

 _Probably._

She didn't want to think of it, couldn't _bear_ the thought of watching Korra get hurt again, _especially_ when she could do nothing about it.

And that's when it hit her.

Her irrational fear – the one that had been bubbling under her skin since the first time Korra had Fire Bended and made itself even more evident in that ice tent in the outskirts of Republic City – had become very clear to her at that moment. She wasn't afraid of Korra being a Fire Bender because of the whole – well – _Fire Bending_ part. She wasn't afraid of Korra hurting her as a Fire Bender because she _knew_ in the depths of her heart that Korra would _never_ do such a thing.

No, she was afraid of Korra being a Fire Bender because of _this_ , _right here_ : the woman she loved _dying_ in her arms, dying as her mother had so many years ago. She wasn't afraid that Korra was a Fire Bender at _all_.

Okay, perhaps she was at the initial seconds that Korra shot flames from her fist when Kuru attacked her, mostly because she wasn't expecting it in the slightest. But the Bending had saved her life. Her love and forgiveness was pure when she found Korra in her dorm, because at that point, she didn't give a single flying fuck about whether Korra could Fire Bend. All she cared about was that Korra was _alive_.

And _this?_ This moment right now? It was pretty much the same.

Perhaps it was the breach of her trust that had made her feel such conflicting things in the ice tent. And yes, she realized her statement about not being afraid of Korra was a lie at the time. But it was more because she couldn't _place_ the fear than the fear itself.

But now she knew.

Korra being a Fire Bender, Korra travelling to the Fire Nation and Air Temple Island unannounced, Korra disappearing and being attacked by the Triple Threats, Korra fending for herself against the Strikers time and time again… this all put a target on her back, every last bit of it since the first instant she shot a flame from her fist.

And _that_ was why Asami was afraid.

She had seen Korra get beaten before and the images still haunted her in her sleep. She had heard Korra whimper and cry in her slumber, knowing there was little she could do to help. She had seen the woman broken and trampled in a heap of her own pain and sadness.

They were all sights she tried to force away from her memory.

Asami tightened her hold on Korra, wanting nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe, to shield her from all of the bullshit in this world.

Because she loved her. She loved her with all her heart and didn't want to lose her. And _that's_ why she was afraid.

"We have to get you somewhere warm and safe." Asami departed, diving into the weary oceans before her.

Korra nodded, unable to speak in her exhaustion. She lifted a weak hand up to point at Naga, Kya, and Tonraq. The polar bear dog was upright, though she still wasn't on her feet. Kya was conscious and on her side, watching the pair leave their embrace. Tonraq was very still, but breathing.

"Korra!" Katara called to her as she approached them on a wave of her own design. She landed on the ground with a gentle splash and knelt down beside her. She put a hand on Korra's forehead and closed her eyes, taking in the state of her being the best she could. "We need to get her home, Asami. She needs heat and fluids. Her body is shutting down."

Asami bobbed her head in determination. She pulled Korra's arms over her shoulders and lifted her with Katara's help. Korra managed to keep her strength and lock her fingers near Asami's breast plate, allowing Asami to hold onto her legs and wrap them around her torso.

"What happened here?" Several White Lotus members ran up to the group, sweat dripping from their brows. "We were on our way to see Tonraq when we saw Korra and Naga jump out to the boat. Is everything alright?" They eyed the almost-unconscious Water Tribe girl on Asami's back.

"A group called the Strikers attacked in an attempt on my life, the life of Korra and her family, and to capture Miss Sato," Katara motioned to the engineer beside her. "But I'll give you the specifics later. We need to focus on helping the dying victims of the battle and trying to stop those boats before they leave the Southern Water Tribe; there are still prisoners on board some of them."

Another White Lotus member stepped forward. "Go let Piku and the others know what happened and what we saw," he spoke over his shoulder to the third member behind him.

Asami thought she saw _something_ in his eyes. Or perhaps it was his voice. Or perhaps it was just her being protective and tired from the battle. She couldn't really tell. Either way, she shook it off when he brought his attention to her.

"Do you need help, Miss Sato? We can escort you somewhere safe, if you'd like." He reached out to her to help adjust her hold on Korra.

Asami opened her mouth to respond when Naga blocked the path between the group and the White Lotus member, growling as she did so. She stood on shaky legs and struggled to keep herself upright.

Her snarl was pure, though, pure and _strong_.

"Naga – will do just fine," Asami chose her words with care. "She gets protective of Korra around people she doesn't know." Her eyes narrowed on the men for a split second, her instincts trusting the polar bear dog in front of her.

"Of course, Miss Sato." He turned to Katara. "Can we be of assistance?"

She nodded and ushered them to follow her.

Asami watched after them for another moment, hesitant to leave Katara alone with the men.

 _I think you're just too caught up in everything that happened. Besides, did you see her fight? She could fend them off without a problem._

 _Yeah, you're probably right._

She adjusted the woman on her back, who muttered her name in her ear upon the shifting. A pulse of heat crawled south when Korra whispered the word.

 _Really_ _? Right now? Is this_ _really_ _appropriate?_

Asami blushed and moved forward, ignoring the feelings she couldn't control. Naga wavered by her side, ensuring Korra was safe and that Asami was heading in the right direction.

(-)


	35. An explanation

Happy new year everyone! *whispers* I know I'm past the actual New Year's Day to post this but shhhhh we're gonna pretend I'm not. *goes back to normal voice* I hope you all had a wonderful start to 2016. It feels weird to type 2016 and to say it. *mumbles 2016 to myself five times* Anyway, here's the latest update to History: Part II. And, I know I say this a lot and what not, but thank-you to each and every one of you who have read this story. It's been a very roller-coaster ride this past year. 2015 was the first time I ever wrote fanfiction and it was the return of one of the passions that I have not explored since high school; writing. Prior to this, it had been five years since I wrote a single thing. And I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to write and share this story with you. I know it's not perfect, and I certainly know it's lost a lot of attention since Chemistry first debuted in March of 2015 and History: Part I made things a bit... bumpier than desired, but I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around and staying with the story. This project has been so much fun to work on, and the characters that have come out of it have been a blast to work with. I'm really looking forward to continuing on this journey as the story continues to develop.

So, my lovely readers, thank-you for your love and support, and may 2016 be as kind to you as you have been to me.

(PS - I'm sorry for this chapter. It's a rough one.)

(-)

Chapter 35

 **An explanation**

Korra opened her eyes with a groan. Her head was spinning and her limbs were sore. She pushed herself upright when the sound of a crackling fire filled her ears. "What? Where…" She let her question fade as her pupils picked up the light in her room. Most of it came from the fire, though a small amount was shining through the window. The beam was orange and faint, indicating the setting sun outside. Naga was in her usual spot, resting in a curled up ball near the pane. A smile crept onto her lips when she noticed the stuffed polar bear dog plush under her paws.

 _Wait, where's Asami?_

She glanced around the room, finding no engineer in her sight. Korra rubbed her lids with the back of her hands, the fatigue spreading to her face.

 _That... that was intense._

She stretched her arms above her head, noting the tension in her shoulders as a loud yawn escaped her lungs. Her fingers traced over her wolf pelt for a brief, absentminded moment, the bruises on her right hand stinging just a bit.

"I thought I heard you yawn," Asami smiled as she entered the open door, a small tray of tea in her hands. She pushed the handle with her hip until the latch clicked shut. "Here – you need to drink something." She crossed the room and placed the platter on the dresser. Asami grabbed a steaming cup and sat on the edge of Korra's mattress. "You were knocked out by the time Naga and I got you back. Luckily, the Strikers didn't destroy your house, too." She offered the warm mug to Korra. "I've been waiting for you to wake up to make sure you were okay. How are you feeling?"

Korra took the cup and inhaled the seaweed aroma.

 _Mom must have had some left over to heat up when all of this happened._

She sipped a bit of the hot liquid, grateful for the warmth and hydration. She brought her attention back to Asami. "I'm feeling a bit better now. I'm really tired, though. That – that was nothing like what I expected. Well, I didn't expect it at _all_. I can't believe they came all the way down here."

Asami grew a bit rigid for just a moment. "Me neither."

"Are _you_ okay, Asami? With everything that female Striker said and I – I saw you get hit a few times…"

"I'm fine." She sported a soft smile to prove her case, even if it was a bit false. "I'm more worried about _you_." She slid her fingers into Korra's free hand.

Korra shot a similar smirk to her, though hers was _genuine_. "I'll be okay. I just need some more rest. And maybe some food." She downed the rest of her tea and handed the empty mug to Asami. When Asami left the bed to return the cup, Korra followed her on shaky legs. She put her hands on Asami's shoulders once she was stopped at the dresser and melted into her back. "I'm glad you're okay, Asami," she whispered, her cheek against the half-gear on Asami's coat. She shut her eyes and took a breath to calm herself. The scent of the woman she loved filled her nose, her natural aroma overpowering the arctic lilies from before.

Asami set the mug down and twisted so that their fronts pressed together in a hug. "Me, too." They stayed in this position for a minute or two until both of their stomachs growled. "We should eat something to get our strength back."

"Good idea."

They departed and approached the doorway. "I think your mom has some fish left over in the ice box. That's where I found the tea. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. We've got nothing to hide."

They smiled and quieted, sneaking past the sleeping polar bear dog.

"Are my parents okay," Korra asked, stopping short of the exit.

Asami nodded. "I helped Katara get them back here once you were safe in bed. They were both knocked out before we got half way, so Naga helped us, too. The last time I checked on them about an hour ago, they were sleeping. I haven't heard much of a peep from them otherwise."

She sighed in relief. "Good. I was really worried about my dad. He wasn't conscious when we came back to the shore."

"Katara checked him over. He's got a few bruises and cuts, but he should be fine."

Korra smiled and pulled on the handle to her door. It squeaked open, but it wasn't enough of a noise to wake the exhausted polar bear dog. "Phew," she muttered, wiping the back of her hand against her brow to dramatize the moment.

Asami giggled behind her palm, careful to be as quiet as she could.

Korra couldn't help but grin; she loved seeing Asami happy. Mother Nature interrupted her amusement, though, her bladder screeching for release after the long day. "Er – I'm going to head to the bathroom. I'll meet you in the kitchen, okay?"

She nodded and returned to the dresser to get the tray while Korra slipped down the hall to relieve herself.

"Senna, before we eat, we need to talk." Tonraq's voice boomed through the corridor, radiating from the common room.

Asami halted in the open doorway when she heard his tone, platter in hand.

 _Well, I guess they aren't sleeping anymore._

 _And_ _the chi blocking wore off._

It made sense to her, now that she thought about it; they had slept and recovered for a longer amount of time after this incident than they had when the Strikers _first_ blocked their chi back in the outskirts of Republic City. She lingered, unsure of whether or not to leave the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she listened to the conversation.

"Talk about what, sweetie?" Senna was sincere in her speech, her concern carrying in her voice.

"Don't _sweetie_ me." He stung back with a poison-laced response.

Asami heard footsteps as Tonraq moved closer to the hallway and farther away from his wife.

 _I don't think they know that we're home._

"Tonraq, what's wrong?"

"You know _exactly_ what's wrong." His volume escalated enough to echo into Korra's bedroom.

"Tonraq –"

"I _know_ you saw it. And if you didn't, then _I_ certainly did. _Twice_. Korra _Fire Bended._ " He paused as the sound of his boots clacked away from the corridor and back into the common room. "Now, _tell me_ , how is it that _my_ child – the child of two _Water Benders_ – could _possibly_ be a _Fire Bender_? Can you explain that to me?"

Senna hesitated. "Tonraq, please, we just made it through a horrible attack. People were hurt. People _died_. We need to go take care of the village before we discuss this."

"Oh, no. This isn't going to wait." He stepped further, approaching the center of the common room where his wife was standing. "We are going to talk about this _right now_."

Asami quivered in the doorway. She slid to the side so she was against the wall, keeping herself hidden from the sight of the entrance.

"Tell me, Senna. Who was it? Was it _Mizu_? You two were always close, always spending time together while I was with the captain, always – always good friends..."

"Tonraq, what are you _talking_ about?"

"How _else_ would my daughter be a _Fire Bender_? It's pretty obvious, Senna. You – you _cheated_ on me. Korra isn't mine. She's someone else's!"

Asami let out a silent gasp, the tray long abandoned to the floor space beside her.

"How _dare_ you accuse me of cheating on you. I _love_ you, Tonraq, with all my heart –"

"And you knew that I wanted a family, with all of _my_ heart. I wanted a child. I wanted to raise a Water Bender that could take my place and make me proud and _redeem_ everything that happened in the north. It makes sense now – considering my damned inability to make a fucking baby – that you would _go behind my back_ so that we could have a child. I couldn't conceive, so you went to someone else."

"Tonraq, this is _ridiculous_. I did _not_ cheat on you. I have _never_ cheated on you and I _never_ will. Mizu and I –"

"How else do you explain Korra Fire Bending? _Huh?_ There's no other possible explanation. It's not like some Spirit descended down upon her and gave her Fire Bending. That's _not_ how this works. To be a Bender, you've got to have the Bender's blood, and _Korra has Fire Bending blood in her._ Otherwise, she wouldn't be a fucking _Fire Bender_."

"Tonraq –"

"No. I don't want to hear it. Whether you admit it or not, she's got some sort of Fire Nation in her and _not_ my own. She's _not_ my daughter."

"Tonraq, you helped raise her. You've been there from the start. You held her in your arms the moment she could breathe. She _loves_ you and you love her."

"She's _not_ my daughter. As far as I'm concerned, I _have no child_."

Asami clasped her hands to her chest in disbelief.

 _How – how could he say that? How could he think that about Korra?_

Senna did much of the same. "Tonraq, I _never_ cheated on you. Korra is as much yours as she is mine –"

"I don't want to _hear_ it." His hot-headed temper and rage was consuming him in his fatigue. Watching his village get attacked, watching his fellow hunters and friends _die_ , getting chi blocked and captured – all of it was just adding fuel to the fire of the past few days. He saw his daughter Fire Bend with his own eyes, there was no denying it; the moment those flames shot out of her, his heart shocked and crumbled. It was then that he realized it was too good to be true – it _had_ to be… that – that him being able to conceive after years of failure was just some fluke. The baby girl he held in his arms when she was born, the little girl who _couldn't_ Water Bend –

 _I guess we know why_ _that's_ _not possible._

He growled, his fists shaking in his absolute pain. He might not be the official Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, but _dammit_ he was Water Tribe through and through. Family was crucial to him and his people. He had to pass on his legacy, his heritage, his blood, his royalty – even if it _was_ yanked away from him. The fact – even just the _notion_ – that Korra was fathered by another – _especially_ that they were wed – that Korra _didn't_ have his Northern blood pumping through her, that she was some product of his wife's _infidelity_ … it engulfed him and tore him apart.

His heart was at war, one side telling him that it didn't _matter_ , that _he_ was the one who raised Korra, _he_ was the one who was a father to her.

The other rejected the teen, like a male saber tooth moose lion killing the cub of another male in his pride.

But he was _not_ a saber tooth moose lion. He was a _wolf,_ a wolf of the North.

And wolves take care of their pack.

 _But they also kill off unwelcome intruders._

 _But is Korra an unwelcome intruder?_

 _Or is she just the product of someone else coming into your pack and defiling your wife?_

His fists tightened more, the turmoil within him too great. He fought back his angry tears. "It makes _sense_ , Senna. Why she couldn't Water Bend after all those years. All that time we _wasted_ trying to teach her to be something she was never _ever_ going to be. All of the disappointment… All the times you took her to the docks to see Mizu and the rest of the Fire Nation Navy when they landed." There was venom in his voice.

"Tonraq, I'm telling you the truth. I _didn't_ cheat on you. I swear to the Spirits –"

" _Fuck_ the Spirits." He growled, kicking the door open. A gust blew in, but he didn't falter. "They've never done anything for me anyways. _Fuck_ the Spirits, and _fuck_ _you_."

Senna stood in the doorway for a moment in complete shock. Tears of anger and sorrow fell down her cheeks. She chased after him and grabbed onto his forearm to stop him from leaving. "Tonraq, wait. Where are you going?"

He ripped away from her. "I don't know and I don't care. What does it matter, anyway?"

"Tonraq –"

"Don't _touch_ me. I – I need time alone."

"What about Korra? What about your _daughter_?"

He gritted his teeth. Everything was red in his sight. Anger filled his head, pushing out anything that might have given him more rationale or sympathy or _anything_ that wasn't blinding ire. Even Urkoma's dark words had no effect on him. It didn't matter. The damage was done and there was no turning back, no voice to tell him to calm down inside and think things through. Urkoma was right in this case, of _course_ she was. He hadn't changed. He was the same person he had been when he destroyed that Sacred Forest, but with a new addition of a wrath-filled drive for redemption. And he failed. He tried to bring something positive into the world and it wasn't even _his_. All he could do was act on what he knew and what he knew was that he was _not_ Korra's father. She didn't have his blood pumping through him. All she was was a result of a betrayal that ran down to the core, covered up in a lie that he ate up in his exhausted fervor. The stress had piled up. The years had worn him down. Hell, the past few days – no, few _hours_ alone were enough to push him over the edge.

He cracked, too deep in his emotions to find an escape.

" _Korra is no daughter of mine_." His response was full of both venom and pain.

"Tonraq, you can't possibly believe this."

"What else _can_ I believe?" He turned to her, rage in his voice. "If Korra was born to two Water Benders, there is no way in _hell_ she would be a Fire Bender. It's the only true evidence I have. And if that's the case, she's _not_ my daughter. She doesn't even have my _blood_. As far as I'm concerned, she isn't even part of the Water Tribe."

"How could you _say_ that? Korra is as much Water Tribe as you and I."

"Not if she's part Fire Nation."

"She's got _my_ blood, so she _is_ Water Tribe. And Tonraq, she looks like you, she acts like you: she _is_ you. She's looked up to you since she could talk. You can't just disinherit and banish her from the Tribe. _You are her father_ , and I'm telling you the truth."

"I want to believe you… but I can't. I can't deny what I saw. She _Fire Bended_. Unless you have a better explanation for this, then all roads point to someone else between your legs."

"How _dare_ you." She grabbed his shoulder as he turned away.

He didn't stop.

She tried a different approach, looking for any way to convince her husband that she was telling the truth. "Tonraq, wait. Don't leave. Can't we discuss this inside? I'll make some tea and –"

"There's nothing _to_ discuss." He crunched through the snow. His fists never stopped shaking. "Korra is no daughter of mine!"

"Tonraq!" Senna called, slamming the door behind her and running after him.

Asami stood against the wall in complete shock. Her heart was racing in her chest, the blood drained from her face.

 _What – what just happened?_

It was something that she never considered, to be honest; she didn't spend all that much time thinking about _why_ Korra could Fire Bend or looking for an explanation. She just kind of… accepted it. She didn't know why, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense _not_ to.

 _Tonraq has a point. If Korra is the child of two Water Benders, there's no way she would be able to Fire Bend._

 _And she_ _did_ _spend a lot of time trying to Water Bend only to come up short._

 _Still, though…_

Asami didn't believe Tonraq's theory – not entirely. It had its logical components, sure. But she just couldn't picture Senna cheating on him.

 _You don't even know anything about her. Maybe they had a past. Maybe she cheated on him before._

 _Plus this whole 'health issues' thing. Korra mentioned that before; he wanted a big family but could only have her. He must have conception problems._

 _I guess that would point to cheating, too._

Despite the reasoning, part of her _still_ didn't believe this and she didn't know why. Under a rational standpoint, every factor showed that Senna _had_ to have had sex with another man. But something in the bottom of her heart refused to believe it. Her ponderings were cut short when she heard faint sobbing down the hall.

 _Oh no._ _Korra_ _._

 _She must have heard the whole thing._

She rushed out of the bedroom and pushed the handle of the bathroom door. It was locked.

"Korra?" She jiggled the handle with shaking hands. When that didn't work, she gave the spot above the knob a few good kicks.

It still didn't budge.

Asami growled in frustration and dropped to her knees. She looked under the crack and searched for any signs of Korra. The room was lit with just a slit of the setting sun through the curtains.

"Korra?" She brought her hand up to the side of her head and felt around for her bobby pins. Lucky for her, she hadn't taken them out since the fight. She pulled the two pieces of metal from her hair and fiddled with the lock, trying to push the skeleton key out from its place on the other side of the door. She stopped her struggle when she heard footsteps behind her. Asami glanced over her shoulder to see the polar bear dog charging at her.

 _Fuck!_

She shot to her feet and flattened herself against the wall.

Naga just grazed her as she slammed her massive shoulder into the small wooden door. It flew off the hinges with ease. Naga tried to crawl into the room, but the opening was too small for her to fit through.

"Naga," Asami put a hand on the polar bear dog's side, getting her attention.

She attempted to squeeze through once more, whining the entire time.

"Let me."

Naga pulled out of the hole and whimpered, a sad look on her face.

Asami stepped around the animal and scanned the area until she saw Korra curled up in a corner, face buried in her knees. "Korra." She exhaled and crouched beside the woman. She put a pale palm on her tan shoulder, her heart aching.

"I knew this was going to happen, Asami. My dad – he's going to disown me. He's going to kick me out of the Tribe."

"Do you really think he would do that to you? He _loves_ you."

She shook her head. "You don't understand, Asami. All he wanted was a family. To know that I'm not his…"

"He _doesn't_ know that. Not for sure."

"There's no other explanation, Asami. None that I can think of. I _knew_ this was going to happen, the night that I Fire Bended in the City to protect you. I _never_ should have gone to the Fire Nation. I _never_ should have tried to Fire Bend. I wish that none of this ever happened." She slammed her fists into the ground. Pain crawled up her arms from the impact, causing her to flinch.

"Korra," Asami started to scold her but stopped; this was probably not the _best_ time to confront her about her nasty habit of slamming her hands into things. Her expression softened. "It's going to be okay."

"Asami, if he disowns me – if the _Chief_ of the Southern Water Tribe disowns me – unofficial or not... I'm not allowed to come back. _Ever_. I'll be banished. I'll have nowhere to go, no place to call home. No family…" Korra broke down to the thought. "All I've ever wanted to do was make him proud, to be the child he always dreamed of having. Not only was I unable to do that, I might not even _be_ his."

She pulled her closer until Korra was resting against her. "It's going to be okay. Everything that's been happening the past few days has been exhausting and full of tension. Just give him some time to think things through and to talk to Senna after this whole mess with the Strikers clears up."

"But what if he doesn't change his mind?" Her oceans met the peridots beside her for the first time since Asami found her in the bathroom. "What if he abandons me?"

"Then we'll figure something else out, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes. _If_ it comes. For now –"

Korra melted into Asami, wanting nothing but the comforting embrace of the woman she loved. She broke eye contact and curled up to hide her face. "I wish I never Fire Bended. I wish this curse would just go away. I – I always dreamed about being a Bender, but I never wanted it to be like _this_. Why is this happening, Asami? Why is it like this? Why did I ever Fire Bend in the first place?" Korra sobbed, struggling to find breath.

Asami paused, tightening her grip and running her fingers through the woman's hair. "I don't know why this is happening, Korra. I'm probably the last person who knows anything about Bending. But if it helps, your Bending – your Bending saved my life. _Twice_. Who knows what Kuru would have done to me if you didn't step in and shoot fire at him; he – he probably would have killed me before turning to you to do the same. And those Strikers? They would have captured me if it wasn't for you. They would have hurt me in the process and who _knows_ if they would have _actually_ taken me back to my father..."

After a few heaves, Korra whispered: "I – I guess you have a point."

"I may not know _why_ you can Fire Bend, but that doesn't change your value as a person – at least not to me. You're _amazing_. You're a thoughtful, kind hearted, strong person, Korra. If Tonraq can go through all of these years of raising you _just_ to reject you because of who's sperm is who's instead of who _you_ are, well – you deserve better than that."

Korra sniffled, much too weary and distraught to argue.

"Everything's going to be okay, Korra. You'll get through this. And I'll be here to help you however I can."

Though she didn't respond, Asami could tell that Korra was grateful by the subtle release of tension in her body.

"Come on; let's go lay down for the night. You're shaking. The sun is setting and I think we've had enough for one day. Agreed?"

Korra nodded, still not revealing her face. She wiped her tears away with the back of her palms and pulled away from Asami. She was painfully aware of her bare right bicep now more than ever. All that was in place of her Water Tribe Warrior band was a jagged scar. Her chest convulsed in a minor heave at the thought.

Asami stayed by her side, rubbing her back until she was ready to stand. She helped Korra to her feet; she was a bit shaky after everything she had been through. Asami guided her to the doorway where Naga was waiting for them, pawing at the floor.

Once Korra was in reach, Naga nudged her face with her own, soft whines escaping her.

Korra threw a weary hand on her polar bear dog as they made their way to the bedroom.

Asami eased her onto the bed. "Do you want me to get you some food? Or some more tea?"

She shook her head; she was in no mood to eat.

"What about pajamas?"

She repeated the motion. With two pushes of her toes to her heels, she removed her boots. She unclipped the pelt from her waist and tossed it onto the floor. Her tired eyes stared at the wolf fur beside her, the one Tonraq had given her the day she was born to mark her as one of his pack. With another whimper, she took the pelt and threw it on the ground. She rolled onto the bed and ripped her wolf tails out. Despite everything she had done today, she didn't feel like a Warrior at all; her thoughts and emotions plagued her into feeling like a traitor to her people. She flung the three ties behind her, even going so far as to pull her blue bands off of her forearms. They met the same fate. Korra put her back to Asami and stared at the wall, too many things flying through her.

Her father.

Her mother.

Her Fire Bending.

Her –

Well, she didn't really know _what_ they were. She went with best friend, though she knew they were more than that. Lover didn't do Asami justice and girlfriend just… was never established. Another set of tears streamed down her cheeks. Just when things had started to get better, they all fell apart, just as they always seemed to do. She felt like she was never going to be happy again.

"Hey," Asami spoke in a hushed tone, crawling onto the bed and sitting on her knees beside Korra. She leaned over and brushed a stray tear away.

Korra shifted onto her back and looked into the peridots before her.

Her pale hand lingered on Korra's cheek.

A soft smile crossed her face and she didn't know why. She didn't fight it, either. All she could do was cover Asami's fingers with her tan palm.

They didn't need to speak; this was one of those moments where the thoughts and emotions between them just… flowed. Asami laid herself down next to Korra and allowed Korra to melt into her front with her own. Asami held her close and stroked her now-loose hair, hoping the gesture would usher the woman to sleep as it had in the past.

"Everything is going to be okay, Korra," she whispered on repeat until she noticed Korra's breathing lower into that of slumber. She tightened her hold and placed a gentle kiss on Korra's forehead. Her lids touched and she inhaled, trying to silence the thoughts in her head.

"Everything is going to be okay," Asami muttered again, more for herself this time than the woman in her arms. "Everything is going to be okay."

(-)


	36. Taken

Hello all! I have another update for you. ^_^ Ever since the Strikers hit, we have been on the "oh shit, things are getting intense" peak of the roller coaster, and it is pretty much going to continue to be that way until the end of this fic. This chapter that you're about to read is no exception. Hope you enjoy it!

(-)

Chapter 36

 **Taken**

All three of them had fallen asleep. Naga was near the bed instead of her usual spot by the window. Her head rested on the empty portion of the mattress beside Asami's back. Asami was on her side, holding Korra against her in a sleeping embrace. Korra was facing her, her nose buried in a fluff of black hair. Her rest was nowhere near slumber, though. While she wasn't having nightmares, she wasn't dreaming, either. Everything was black. It wasn't even her normal 'walking through darkness to find the voice' type of shadowy dream. It was just…

Black.

Her eyes fluttered open, though her sight was limited. Even with lifting her head from the mess of raven locks, it was still too dark to get a clear visual.

Too dark and… _fuzzy_.

Korra moved beyond her control, her limbs under the whim of her subconscious once again. She was only half there, if even that much. She slid out of Asami's grip with no grace at all. Her sock-covered feet dropped to the cold floor, toes not registering the mild sting from the temperature difference. Her soles dragged across the boards, her shoulders slouched in her near-sleep walking state. She stopped at the window, her weary pupils drifting up to the moon in the sky. The moon was clear in her complete fullness – unhindered by clouds or her own cycle – marking the beginning of the winter solstice. Her body swayed as she took in the sight.

"Korra?" Asami mumbled, shifting upright after noticing the woman was missing from her arms. She rubbed her eye with one hand while her other peridot looked on with confusion. "Korra," she called again, this time getting the attention of the sleeping polar bear dog.

Naga let out a yawn and twisted her head over to the hovering Korra.

Korra didn't acknowledge them, nor did she even hear their voices or remember that they were there. All she could do was submit to the movement of her limbs; her subconscious wanted _something_ – answers, most likely – and whatever force that was pulling her was too strong to resist. Her fingers found the lock of the window and flipped it open.

"Korra?" Asami made her way out of the bed, Naga standing beside her. She took a step forward, hesitant in her approach.

Korra's palms moved to the center right side of the circular window. She pushed on it, trying to get it to budge. Another shove and the pane swung open. She crawled up to the sill and slipped through the opening, rolling into the snow from her poor landing.

"Korra!" Asami ran to the window – polar bear dog on her tail – and leaned against it.

Korra was already on her feet, trudging through the snow in meandering, absent steps.

"Come on, Naga." Asami pulled the window shut and scurried out of the bedroom. The faint sound of Tonraq snoring from the training room filled her ears. She made a mental note of it as her and Naga tiptoed to the main entrance. She closed it as quiet as she could and sprinted around the side of the house. She stopped and squinted, scanning to find Korra. When her peridots locked onto the loose brown hair blowing in the wind, her feet took off. "Korra," she hollered as she approached the woman. She ran to her front and halted. "Korra, where are you go –" She cut herself off as she looked into Korra's distant, empty eyes. "Korra?" She waved her pale hand in Korra's path.

This did nothing.

Korra kept walking, even stumbling a bit in her subconscious steps.

Naga intercepted her route and blocked it, growling at her human companion.

Still, nothing.

Korra continued on, moving around the animal in her way; she didn't even realize there was someone there, didn't even see her. Her body just _moved_ , her oceans focused on the fuzzy sight of the glacier past the joining of the three rivers.

"Korra," Asami latched onto her wrist with a soft hold, trying to get her to stop when she noticed her destination.

This had no effect as well; she simply pulled her arm out of Asami's gentle grasp.

"What is going on with her?" The pair stared as they watched Korra walk away.

 _"I didn't really know what I was doing. My body just started_ _moving_ _."_

"I think she's sleepwalking, Naga…" Asami took a curious step towards her. "Let's follow her."

She barked and traveled next to Asami, a similar amount of intrigue in her black eyes. They trailed Korra until she paused at the shore of the Aakaga. The pair stopped a few feet away, careful to keep their distance.

Korra's swaying body stared up at the top of the glacier. Her feet moved into the cold water, her body showing no response to the chill in the slightest. Once it was deep enough, her legs kicked and her arms stroked just as she did when she was swimming to the Fire Nation.

"Come on, Naga." Asami motioned to wade into the water when Naga stopped her.

Naga lowered herself to the ground and nodded to her back, ushering Asami to mount.

"Are – are you sure, Naga?"

She yipped.

Asami bobbed and crawled onto the polar bear dog. She adjusted her hold, still unaccustomed to riding on the animal – let alone _bareback_. "Okay. Let's keep on her trail."

She huffed and plunged into the water, though she managed to stay afloat enough to keep Asami dry. Naga paddled through the river, her eyes dead-set on her human companion.

Korra swam up to the jutting edge of the glacier. She waded around to the shore; the force that pulled her refused to climb up the rocks to the peak. She stumbled out of the water and tumbled into the snow, her legs unsteady. She pushed herself to her feet and continued on, ascending the mountain on the same side that her and Asami had just one night before.

Naga paused once she was on solid ground to shake her fur out. When she was done, Asami slid off of her and scratched her ear.

"Thank-you." She smiled to Naga before turning to Korra's path. She glanced between the peak of the glacier and the meandering Korra, worry in her heart. "Come on," she waved the polar bear on to follow her.

They climbed up the mountain, following the footprints that Korra left behind. It was their only means of tracking her; Korra was out of their sight due to her elevation and angle. When they reached the top of the glacier, Korra was in their eyes.

It forced both of them to freeze.

Korra was just a few feet away from the ledge, her head tilted up at the massive full moon above her. Her subconscious took in Yue's glow, her hazy, glazed-over blue eyes reflecting the natural image of the bright orb in the night sky. She felt _something_ buzz inside of her, a mighty force pulling at her insides. It grew and radiated within her, though her body continued to sway in its stupor.

Then, it spoke.

 _Korra._

White filled every inch of her. It extended from her core and shot out of her, taking her with it.

Korra shut her eyes and fell to her knees. Within a second, her body completely collapsed into the snow, its insides empty and abandoned.

Asami felt her heart fall with Korra's plummet.

"Korra!" Asami sprinted to her and pulled her away from the ledge. She rolled Korra onto her back and held her in her pale hands. "Korra? Korra?" She repeated, almost shaking the woman's shoulders in her frantic state. She touched Korra's face with her trembling fingers.

 _She's – she's cold. How can she be so cold?_

She lowered her ear to Korra's chest, listening for a heartbeat. She put one hand on the side of Korra's neck and the other under her nostrils.

 _She's still breathing. She's still alive. I think…_

Asami moved to her eyes. She pushed the lids up. Korra's irises were rolled up into the near back of her head, hidden from Asami's sight. Her body showed no other signs of movement.

Naga whined and tried to nudge Korra awake once Asami released her.

That warranted no response.

Another rub, a bark, a lick of the cheek, a whimper, a nip on the wrist…

Nothing.

"Naga, I need you to go get help. Senna, Katara, Kya, _anyone_ who knows Water Bending healing."

Naga barked and sped off as fast as she could, feet pounding into the snow at a rapid pace.

Asami returned to the unconscious Korra, her heart racing in her chest. She tore her jacket off and wrapped Korra's torso with it. Asami was too afraid to move her anymore, having _zero_ experience with this type of physical phenomenon.

 _Korra… what's going on? What – what happened to you?_

A mixture of deep concern and a primal urge to protect Korra coursed in her veins. She huddled next to Korra, looking for any means she could to keep Korra's chilling body warm. Her watery eyes fell upon the full moon, the peridots reflecting Yue's glowing image.

 _Please be okay._

(-)

Scratching and eventual mewling against her window was the last thing she expected – or _wanted_ – to hear, especially at _this_ time of night. She jumped up from her bed, startled from the noise.

 _Naga?_

She rushed to the pane and pulled the curtain open.

The polar bear dog cried at the sight of her, eager to communicate with her in some way.

Katara unlatched the lock and shoved the glass to the side. "Naga, Naga, _calm down_."

She shook her head and barked, panic in her eyes.

"Shhh," Katara hushed her, looking over her shoulder to ensure her door was shut; she didn't want to wake her slumbering daughter while she recovered from the chi blocking earlier in the day. When she returned to Naga, she could see and feel the worry radiating from her. "Something's wrong. Did something happen to Korra?"

Naga whimpered and lowered herself against the sill.

"Okay, I'm coming. Let me put my boots and coat on." Katara scurried to her dresser and grabbed a pair of pants to put over her pajamas. She slipped into them, as well as an additional robe and the parka that she always wore. She slid her hands in her coat pocket, ensuring the small pouch was with her – as it was every day. She nodded with determined eyes when she felt it between her fingers. Then, she returned to the task at hand. With a quick slip of her animal skin boots, she was ready to go. She pushed herself up to her window, groaning from the ache in her muscles after her previous fight with the Strikers. A flick of her wrist sent some water up to her pane to close it. She continued the motion and sent her arms towards the ground. When she lifted them, a pillar of water-turned-ice followed, propelling her onto Naga's back. She gripped onto the polar bear dog's neck and adjusted herself. "Take me to her, Naga."

Naga barked and sped off, both eager to get to Korra and careful not to throw Katara off of her.

"Why did you come to _me_ , Naga," she asked as they approached the joining of the three rivers. "Senna and Tonraq are much closer to this spot than I am."

She growled in response, following the snarl up with a bark; Korra's parents were the _last_ people Naga wanted to think about right now. Without a single ounce of hesitation, she lunged into the water. Her legs pumped in an intense paddle, moving much quicker than she had with Asami on her back. Once she hit the ground, she lurched into a sprint up the side of the glacier.

Katara scanned the area, noting a second pair of human footprints moving in the same path as they were. "Is Asami with her, Naga?"

She howled and panted. The duo came to a grinding halt at the top of the mountain.

Her heart dropped in her chest to the sight. She jumped off of Naga and caught herself on a small wave of her own design. It carried her to Asami and Korra, the latter somewhat-pulled into the former's arms. A set of fresh tears were streaming down Asami's face as Katara made the Bent liquid disappear under her feet. She knelt beside Asami and put a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me everything," she instructed, pulling the unconscious Korra from her grip. Katara laid her out onto her back as gentle as she could and Bent some water up to her hands. She closed her eyes and moved her palms over Korra's body, the fluid glowing around her fingers.

Asami rubbed her face dry and took a breath. "Korra and I were sleeping to– in the same room. I was, uh, on the floor and – anyways, that's not important. We were sleeping and Korra woke up. At least, I _think_ she woke up. Actually, she didn't really…"

 _Asami, breathe. Formulate. You aren't being useful._

She inhaled again to calm herself. "She started sleepwalking."

"Sleepwalking?" Katara stopped her evaluating motions to meet the peridots beside her.

She nodded. "She's done it before, she told me, when she was going to the Fi–", she paused, smacking herself on the inside for almost blowing Korra's secret. "She said she can sometimes remember things when she was in this state, but it's hazy. She said her body just… _moved_."

Katara furrowed her brow and stared at Korra's still face.

"Naga and I tried getting her attention, but she wouldn't budge at all. So we followed her here. When we got to the top, she was just standing there, staring at the moon. Her body twitched and she fell to her knees. Then, she collapsed." Asami slid her pale hand into Korra's, ignoring her own shaking from the cold. "I put my jacket on her to try and keep her warm. She's cold, Katara. She's _never_ cold, not since –"

She cringed to the memory of Korra after the second attack on the outskirts of the university, when she cared for the slipping woman in Korra's dorm room.

"That's good thinking, Asami." Katara shut her lids and reexamined Korra's body. She lowered the glowing water into her core, trying to feel _something_ in Korra. While Katara _could_ feel her basic bodily functions – like her heart and lungs – something was _missing_. It was an emptiness she hadn't felt since…

Her eyes popped open and widened. She glanced up at the moon, Yue's fullness and light reflecting back to her. Her blue irises picked up on the now-open moon lilies along some of the shore and cliff lines, waving to her in the wind with their arctic lily descendants.

"Katara? What's wrong? What's going on with Korra?"

"Korra… is no longer with us."

Asami's heart plummeted to the center of the earth. "Wha – what do you mean? She _can't_ be. I felt her pulse and her breathing before you got here. She… is she…" She couldn't even _fathom_ the word dead, let alone get the knot out of her throat to speak another syllable.

"No, no. Korra's not dead. She wouldn't be breathing if she was dead." She rose to her feet and Bent the water back into the ground. "No, Korra is in the _Spirit World_."

Her jaw dropped. " _Spirit World?_ How – why – but – how could she be in the Spirit World?"

Katara folded her arms behind her back as Naga approached Korra, sniffing at her motionless body with a soft whimper. She looked up at the moon. "The moon is full tonight, _and_ it's the Winter Solstice. At this time, the Mortal World and Spirit World are close together, so close that –"

"–it's possible to reach out and talk to the Spirits." Asami murmured, Korra's words echoing in her mind.

"And vice versa."

She turned to Katara in a state of panic. "So a Spirit came and took Korra away?"

"From what you've told me, it sounds likely." Katara walked around to Korra's head and sat beside her. "I've seen it happen before, though that time, my brother's body was _actually_ taken," she half-chuckled, half-frowned to the thought of Hei Bai taking Sokka from Senlin Village all those years ago. "But this is exactly how Aang's body felt to me when he meditated into the Spirit World."

"But Korra didn't _meditate_ there; she was _taken_ there. What do we do? How do we get her back?"

"We don't."

"We don't?"

She nodded.

"Then what _do_ we do? We can't do nothing."

"That's exactly what we _have_ to do, Asami." She sat in an agura position and glanced down at Korra. "We can't bring Korra back from wherever she is. All we can do is wait for her to return and watch over her body in the meantime. Unless you know of some way to get into the Spirit World on your own…"

Her hands shook; she didn't like doing _nothing_ , didn't like being out of control in a situation like this with no plan A, B, or C to follow if things went wrong. But she had no knowledge about the Spirit World – or, very _limited_ knowledge. The only thing she had to go on was the Water Bender sitting beside the woman she loved. Asami sighed in defeat and plopped at Korra's other side. She fought back her frustrated, concerned tears.

Katara reached over and put a palm on Asami's shoulder. "Don't worry, Asami. Everything is going to be okay." She reached into her parka and pulled out a small brown, animal skin pouch, sealed with a thin drawstring. She placed it beside Korra and folded her hands into her lap.

Asami eyed the bag, glancing between that, Korra, and Katara. She opened her mouth to question it, but the words wouldn't come out once her peridots fell on Korra for a final time. She wrapped her pale fingers around one of Korra's hands, her grip tight enough to feel the woman's heartbeat. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, trying to keep herself calm.

 _Come back to me, Korra. Come back._

(-)


	37. Too soon

Hello loves! Sorry for the late update; I traveled back to school recently and have been getting settled and what not. Anyway, here is the latest chapter and I hope you enjoy it. ^_^

(-)

Chapter 37

 **Too soon**

Korra was flying, despite lacking wings to do so. Her loose hair was rushing behind her as she whipped through the air. Something was pulling on her, tugging her forward – though it wasn't from her arms. Rather, it was from her chest. She opened her eyes to find a bright white light flashing in front of her. It wasn't just _any_ ordinary light; this one wasn't blinding and sight filling like the others had been. Instead, this one was confined to a few streams weaving and cascading out and in from a single source.

Herself.

The scenery zipped by much too fast for her to analyze. It was dark, with random bursts of light coming and going in a split second. The motion was starting to make her queasy, if that was even possible.

"What – what's happening?" She called out to the light in hopes of an answer.

There was nothing but silence and the whirring sound of her speeding along against her will.

Korra reached out and tried to hold some of the wave in front of her. She managed to grip it and braced herself, expecting it to be burning hot from its glow. When it wasn't, she cracked her lids in shock. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"

The light grew brighter and brighter in her sight, shifting into the blinding flash that she was more accustomed to. It filled her eyes until she could no longer see. She shielded her eyes from the light. Everything around her shook in her sightlessness. Her body stopped shooting through the skies when the gleam dimmed down. She felt woozy, but stable. She unshielded her face by removing her arm and peeked at the sight before her. The crossing beams of white were gone. She was left in a small, fire-lit room that looked…

 _Familiar._

Korra turned in her spot, examining the shadowed walls and tapestry. The chairs. The fur throw. The mantle. Her oceans fell on a young woman – perhaps in her mid-twenties – dressed in blue Water Tribe clothes standing by the window, staring at the darkened horizon. Her hands were just above waist level, from what Korra could see at her angle. Her hair was brown like hers, cascading at either side of her chest in thin, crisscrossing ties that matched her wardrobe. Korra's eyes widened when she realized _who_ the woman was.

"Mom?" She took a step forward, arm outstretched.

"I hope you come back soon, Tonraq." Senna sighed, rubbing her hands up and down her abdomen.

"Mom," she called again, quickening her pace towards her parent. When she went to place a palm on Senna's shoulder, her hand went right through her. "What the hell?" She tried multiple times to grab her mother, all of which were in vain. Korra took a step back in horror and lifted her hands up about a foot from her own face. Upon closer inspection, she could see that her tan fingers were off color – just by a little bit – and that her body was…

 _Translucent?_

Korra reached out again, a bit slower this time. She watched herself phase through the back of her mother's head in disbelief. "Okay, this is some really fucked up shit." She repeated the motion with a bit more vigor, similar to her previous attempts. "Am I dead?"

"Ah! Easy there, little baby," Senna flinched and rubbed her stomach, turning to the side just a bit. "You're a little kicker, that's for sure."

"Baby?" Korra stepped around and crouched down at her mother's ten. Her eyes fell upon a somewhat-large bump, hidden under Senna's robes. "Woah, is that… me?"

"You miss your daddy, don't you?" Senna glanced back out at the horizon, watching the storm clouds raging over their isolated part of the village. The wind howled and knocked into the window, forcing the woman to take a step back. "I miss him, too. He was supposed to be home three days ago from his hunting trip. I hope everything is okay." She grimaced as another kick shook her abdomen. "Easy. Easy there. If you're not careful, you're going to bruise my ribs again." She massaged her stomach and walked over to the fire place, passing right through the intangible Korra. She sat next to the fire and held her bump. "You know, the taakti says that you might be a girl, with the way that I'm carrying and from what she can sense with her Water Bending. I feel it, too." She closed her eyes and slid her hands under her robe, grazing her fingertips against the bare skin of her abdomen. She inhaled and felt the life of her child inside of her, a soft smile on her face. "There you are," she sighed in content.

Korra moved over to the mantle and crouched beside her mother, observing _whatever_ this was. Her grin mirrored Senna's, in all honesty. She reached out to feel the baby but realized that wouldn't be possible just before she phased through Senna. She frowned in acceptance and pulled away.

"Believe it or not, but your father was pretty excited when he learned you were a girl. I thought he would be more excited for a boy, but you should have seen the tears that filled his eyes when the taakti told him." Senna smirked, fighting her own watering from the memory. "It was some of the best news we had ever gotten – that you were coming to us. I still remember the night it all happened about seven months ago, when your father and I marked the calendar and decided to –"

Korra grimaced and turned away, plugging her ears in the futile hope of _not_ hearing her mother talk about having sex with her father. Now that the image was in her head, she couldn't escape it. Lucky for her, her mother didn't go into detail.

"–Well, you don't need to know about that or _how_ it happened. Just know that you have a mommy and daddy who have been trying for a _very_ long time to get you here and are _very_ excited to bring you into this world." Senna's smile faded and she stopped massaging her belly. She opened her eyes and removed her hands from under her robe. Her face was full of concern as she glanced over her shoulder. The onset of heavy snow was hitting the side of their small home like daggers in her heart. "Please come back soon, Tonraq. I –" She screamed out and clenched her abdomen. A painful contraction shot through her body; it was the worst she had ever felt. "Easy, there, little baby. Shhhh, relax. It's not time to – ahhh!" She keeled over again, almost falling off of the mantle in the process.

"Mom!" Korra reached out to her in an attempt to hold her up. It was of no use. She cursed under her breath and tried to grab onto her mother's shoulders to comfort her. It failed once more. "Dammit!"

Senna let out another scream as a third contraction riddled her. She lowered herself to the ground, attempting to balance on her hands and knees. "What are you doing, little baby? This isn't the time. It's too –" She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. " _Early_ ," she cried out after another contraction and what felt like a subtle 'pop' inside of her. A wet mass leaked out of her. "No," she panicked, her hand maneuvering through her waistband. "It's too soon," she breathed. Her fingers were soon soaked with slick fluid. The liquid trickled down her legs and seeped into her pants. "No!" She tried to get up but couldn't muster the strength; the contractions were too powerful and her legs were too shaky.

Korra stepped back, absolute shock and horror on her face. Her hands trembled, knowing there wasn't a _damn_ thing she could do to help her suffering mother. "I – I didn't know I was early. I – I need to do something. _Anything_. White light, how can I help? Let me do _something_!"

There was no response.

"Dammit!" Korra wanted to kick something, but she knew that she would just move right through it. She knelt down beside her mother. "It's going to be okay, mom. It's going to be okay."

Senna cried out again and leaned against the mantle. "Tonraq, where _are_ you?" She panted and gripped the stone of the fire place. She glanced out the window, watching the storm ensue. There was no way she would be able to get to the taakti in this condition and this weather. Her sweaty forehead rested against the cool rock. "Please, someone, _anyone_ , hear me."

As if on cue, the door to the common room flew open. Tonraq came barreling inside, the wind pushing him forward. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, grateful to be home. His face shifted from content to terror in a matter of seconds. "Senna!" He rushed over to his wife, running right through Korra's apparition. He dropped to his knees and grabbed his lover's hand. "Senna, Senna, what's wrong?"

"Tonraq, you're here. You heard me." She pushed herself into his arms and embraced him as another contraction hit her. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm not dead. I'm right here." He pulled her closer and stroked her hair. "We got caught in a storm and were waiting for it to pass. When we saw the second one coming, we knew we had to outrun it or else we wouldn't survive. We had to abandon the catch, but we all got back safely. But the storm, it's getting worse. I –"

He was interrupted when Senna cried out, a death grip on her husband's back.

"Senna, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Tonraq, the – the baby. She's coming."

His eyes showed nothing but incredulity. "What? So soon? Are – are you sure?"

She locked onto his eyes with pain-induced fury in hers. "Do I _look_ sure, Tonraq?"

He backed away a few inches, realizing he didn't ask the right question, and regrouped. "The taakti is all the way in Harbor City. There's no way I'll be able to get to him or get you to him in the storm."

"You need to find _someone_ , Tonraq. If this were forty weeks, I would tell you not to worry about it but… I'm scared, Tonraq. I'm so scared." Tears fell down her face. Her arms were shaking as she buried her nose in her husband's neck. "I don't know why the baby is coming early, but what if something's wrong with her? What if she isn't developed or she's sick or something happens during the birth, Tonraq? I won't be in any shape to help her and you don't know a damn thing about Healing and infants and –" She sobbed, panic riddling her.

"D – don't worry, Senna. Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to find someone. I'll go right now."

"A Healer, Tonraq. I need a Healer. Someone who knows how to deliver babies."

He nodded and released her. "Let me help you out of your lower robes and pants so that if the baby starts coming out, it won't be blocked."

Senna bobbed her head and leaned on her husband's shoulders for support.

Korra watched as he started untying her knot. Before she could see anymore, the room began to fade as if she were being pulled into a vacuum. The area darkened while she was sucked away against her will. "Wait, no, I need to help. I need to do _something_. Where are you taking me? No! Let me help! _Let me help!_ " She reached out to the faint image of her parents struggling with her childbirth. Soon, they were out of her sight.

This trip was much shorter than the last. It took maybe half a minute of rapid flying at stomach-turning speed for the scenery to still. There wasn't even a bright flash of light for this one.

Korra wobbled on unsteady legs from the sudden stop, still a bit shaken from what she just witnessed with her parents.

"Ugh," she groaned, a hand to her head. She walked around the empty room, noting the fire in the mantle. "This place looks familiar, too." She glanced at the walls, the chair in the corner and the one across from it. Faint voices from around a corner grabbed her attention. She meandered over to the hallway and stared at the open door towards its end. Gentle light escaped from it. The voices of two women and four men echoed to her. Only three of them resembled ones she's heard before. She crept closer and poked her head inside. "Woah."

Five of them were surrounding a bed in the center of the room, the headboard against the wall. An older man with a small beard and hair tied back into a ponytail was on the left side of the bed, his blue layers matching that of the woman near the same age across from him. A younger woman with graying hair was next to her, a bald man with a brown beard and blue tattoos adjacent to that spot. At the foot was a third male, his somewhat-tan skin paled by his disheveled brown hair and beard. They all had pained looks as they stared at the person in the bed; an aged man – though not as much as the two near his face – with a trimmed brown beard and a blue arrow on his forehead. His eyes were faint as he stared at the elder woman to his left. Their hands were locked, fingers interlaced for one last time. He shut his lids to cough in a voracious spell before returning his weak gaze to the woman at his side.

"Wait, is that… Master Katara?"

Shock made her useless as she realized what was happening. She started recognizing the faces.

Chief Sokka.

Master Kya.

Tenzin.

Bumi.

And in the bed, the Avatar himself.

(-)


	38. Rebirth

Holy hell, this took me way too long to get to! I apologize for that; I've been travelling a lot last week and this week was the first week of classes. Regardless, I'll try to be a little bit better with the updates here. Also, I hope you enjoy this chapter. ^_^

(-)

Chapter 38

 **Rebirth**

"Wha – what – why – am I – here – what –" Korra backed halfway into the wall, a strong buzzing in her chest. A pound on the door startled her. It made her and many of the other members in the room jump.

"I'll get it, mom." Kya hopped to her feet and scurried right through Korra.

Korra followed, if only for the mere distraction from everything that was turning in her brain.

Kya twisted the handle and the wind did the rest. The door flew open, revealing a panting, sweating Tonraq.

"Kya, I need you." He panicked, stepping forward and grabbing her shoulders.

"Tonraq? What's wrong? What's going on?"

"It's – it's Senna. She's giving birth – and the taakti is in Harbor City." He whispered between pants, too out of breath for a normal tone.

" _What?_ I thought she wasn't due for another month or two, at _least_." She rushed through the common room, Tonraq on her heels.

"I did, too. But I just got back from the hunting trip and she was on the floor. She's having contractions and her water broke."

Kya opened a cupboard and pulled a decorated water sac from the shelf. She wrapped it around her shoulder. "Let me tell my mo –"

The pair turned to see Katara standing in the doorway.

Korra was behind her, watching the events unfold with a pounding heart.

There was a mixture of emotions on the elder's face: a swirl of happiness, sadness, and a hint of cunning. "May the Spirits be with you two." She walked up to her daughter and embraced her. "I'll stop by after…"

"Yeah." She finished the sentence in a whisper so that her mother didn't have to. "Tell him that I – I –"

"I will." She departed and smiled at her daughter. "Now go. Senna needs you."

Kya nodded, her expression morphing from sadness to determination. She turned to Tonraq and locked onto his confused eyes with burning ones. "Let's go."

Korra expected to be swept away again, zipping over to her house minutes before the Water Bending pair arrived. Instead, her body stayed in place. She stared in anticipation as Master Kya and her father ran out of the entrance and Katara returned to the bedroom where her husband lay. She decided to follow Katara by pure instinct alone.

Once her feet crossed the door, she felt herself almost split into two.

Part of her could see her mother, squatting on the floor by the mantle.

The other part flew past the mourners in the room and into the body of the man on the bed.

It was then that Korra realized the former half _was_ back in her own common room, just as she expected it to be. Tonraq and Kya burst in not too long after, rushing over to her mother to help with the delivery.

She couldn't really _see_ much from her other half; his eyes were closed, though she wanted them open. The lids touched against her will. She felt the hand of an older man on her shoulder, the palm of a younger man in her right and the tan fingers she actually _did_ recognize by contact alone in her left. "Katara," she muttered in a voice that was not her own, speaking words that she wasn't coming up with herself.

Her tone was heavy. "I – I don't understand why this is happening."

"It's just my time, sweetie. I've been sick for months now, and you know that."

"I know."

"As much as I don't – as I don't want to go, there's nothing I can do to stop it. I've been fighting for as long as I could and I know you've done your best to try and heal me. If there is one thing we can't escape, it's time. Time and death. But just as time brings the end of things, it brings the beginning of others. Death, rebirth… it's all just part of the cycle we submit to when we come into this world. I've – I've done everything I can to save myself and this _world_ , for that matter." A cough interrupted his final words. It rattled his burning lungs and sore muscles. "It's just… time."

Tears dripped down Katara's cheeks; she was oblivious to everyone else around her.

"Thank-you," he whispered, opening his lids for a final time and looking his wife in her weeping eyes. "You have done so much for me, from penguin sledding to saving the world to helping me continue on the Air Nation. You've made my dreams come true, Katara."

"Mine, too," she muttered back, the drops now streams.

"Push, Senna, push." Kya instructed, her hands near the crowning head of the premature baby.

Senna did as she was told, squeezing her husband's palm as she squatted. There was a fur underneath her to lower the baby on and catch any of the birthing fluids. She screamed out as she tried to push. "Tonraq, we are _never_ having sex again. _Ever_."

All he could do was chuckle in amusement and – most of all – fear, but not from never doing the deed for the rest of his life; his horror was a combination of his wife's tone and the bones in his hand almost cracking. He ignored it. "You can do it, honey. I believe in you."

"Just a few more, Senna. You're doing great. Ready? One, two, three, _push_."

She cried out and gripped Tonraq's palm, using a mixture of his upper body and the mantle for support.

The scene cut back to the sight of the tan fingers wrapped around her tattooed hand. Her eyes fluttered shut, a strong buzzing radiating from her chest. She could feel herself fade away, like she was sinking into the ocean with no hopes of swimming to the surface. With each foot she sunk, the vibrating intensified.

"Goodbye, my love, my sweetie, my best friend," Katara whispered, bringing her husband's hand up to her cheek and cradling it against her skin while it was still warm.

"Push, Senna. _Push_."

A final scream and the baby was free. Kya cradled the head and body, moving the newborn out with care. She laid the infant on the fur, away from the collapsing mother.

Korra watched as Kya tapped the baby's bottom, trying to get it to breathe. The color of the child's skin started to pale and blue.

"Kya, why – why isn't she breathing? Kya? _Kya?_ " Tonraq called out, causing Senna to spin around in horror.

"I – I don't know." She tried not to panic, though her nerves were getting the best of her. She Bent additional sterile water from the pouch she brought with her and ran it over the now-shaking baby.

Tonraq and Senna looked on in terror, holding each other's torsos in their arms.

 _My – my baby. My child –_

"Something's not right. I – I don't know what it is. I can feel her life force and her chi and I'm going to try to hold onto it, but… you have to go get my mother. I – I can't do this alone. Her body is too delicate." She reached into the child with her own energy and grabbed onto the baby's chi, putting all of her focus on the dim force in her Bending grasp.

"W – why is she shaking, Kya?"

"She's having a seizure. I don't know why. It could have been stress from the delivery or because she's premature and underdeveloped or both." She glanced up at the frozen couple. "Tonraq, I need you to go _now_."

It took him another second to take off. His limbs shook as he burst through the door, afraid to the point that his Bending was less than perfect. It forced him to tumble forward into the snow.

 _Get it together. Get to Katara. Your baby, your blood_ _needs_ _you._

He took a breath and launched himself on a wave, pushing himself to the edge to get to Katara's as fast as possible.

All Senna could do was stare in absolute shock, way too exhausted and much too terrified to be of any help – Healer or not.

At that moment, the vibrating was out of her control. White filled her sight, filled every inch of her for just a second. Then, the force gathered in her core and shot out, leaving the old male body and taking Korra with her. It flew through the walls, through the storm, through the air, and right into Korra's home.

Her other half that was watching the birth saw the light burst into the scene, her double vision becoming too much for her.

She rushed towards the small baby, flying at unprecedented speeds.

 _Slow down! You're going to hurt it! Going to hurt – me…_

Her hearts sunk as the beam crashed into the child. The lighter side of her filled the newborn from the tip of her toes to the crown of her soft skull. It intermingled with the Spirit inside of her, Korra's _natural_ Spirit. She could feel different sparks from the base of her spine upwards as the light traveled and began settling inside of her. It crawled into her underdeveloped brain, searching for a means to make a physical connection. She could see herself – or whatever this force was – travelling through the canals in her mind, making links with the synapses present, connecting to the tissue and the nerves grown there, trying to not only find the physical paths, but the _chi_ paths granted from her fleshy makeup.

She watched on the outside as Kya struggled to keep the shaking infant's life force in her grip. The baby – _herself_ – was getting paler and paler from the lack of air. Senna was shaking against the mantle, her heart shattering before her very eyes.

The white continued to flow, moving up to a central portion of her brain. It moved through her blood up until that point, where it was blocked from entry.

 _What the hell?_

Several clots were in the way, all linked to different pathways in her mind. The light tried to penetrate through each of them to no avail.

 _Why can't I get through?_

The baby kept shaking. It would be minutes before Tonraq would return, each second ticking by like an hour.

 _Come_ _on_ , _dad. Where_ _are_ _you?_

The light kept attempting to break the aggregations, weakening with each failed endeavor. She brought her attention away from four of the largest, most dense clots dispersed throughout her mind and focused on a series of smaller ones, near the back of her head. It tried to force its way past the blockage, using the chemicals releasing in the baby's mind to aid in dissolving the clots. The adrenaline pumped through the child's body in an attempt to get itself to breathe. The light gathered this together and attacked the clots in vivid, familiar, pain inducing strikes.

Korra stepped back and fell to one knee, the sights and feelings and everything else overwhelming her.

A loud thud filled her ears from outside. Tonraq, Katara, and Tenzin rushed in, the elder leading the group. She collapsed onto her knees beside her daughter and began moving her hands above the shaking baby's chest. Kya continued to hold onto the child's chi with her own.

"Keep doing what you're doing, Kya," Katara instructed, reaching into the newborn's lungs with her Bending and removing a significant amount of fluid from within. She allowed it to soak into the fur underneath them as she continued working, complete focus on saving the child before her.

The light smashed into small clot after small clot, trying to break free of its block. It shattered one. And another. And another.

Katara swirled glowing water around the infant, sending some of it into the baby to heal the physical damage throughout its body and to alleviate the stress within it. She felt something powerful within this small human – one of the most powerful bursts of energy she had ever experienced. It stirred things within the newborn, causing a great deal of turmoil in her chest. "Easy, easy now," she focused her attention on the baby's lungs and heart, trying to give them energy.

Korra's other sight revealed another destroyed clot. Her stamina was weakening. This was becoming too great of a task for the light to take on. The baby's chi was fading, as was its life force. With a final charge, the white beam broke through the last small blockage in Korra's sight.

Her infant-self stopped shaking. The viewpoint within her disappeared.

This was _exactly_ what Katara needed. She reached her Bending into the newborn and gave her tiny heart and brain another kick start with a direction of her _own_ energy – a feat possible by only the absolute _greatest_ of the Water Bending Healers in the world. Once that started, she redirected her focus to the child's suffering lungs and commanded the energy in the cells. Within seconds, the baby started breathing and crying out, filling the common room with its shrill, piercing howl.

Senna and Tonraq hugged in relief. Katara and Kya exhaled the breath they were holding and sat back, sweating and exhausted from their efforts. Tenzin watched on from the corner with a smile on his face, unknowingly near the translucent Korra.

Korra stared as Masters Kya and Katara used Water Bending to clean the newborn off and wrap it – _her_ , she reminded herself – in a rather large, white pelt.

 _Her_ pelt.

"Tonraq, Senna," Katara smiled, handing the baby to the pair, "it's a girl." She placed the baby in their joined arms and glanced at it, a hint of hidden suspicion in her eyes. "An alive, strong, _beautiful_ girl."

They brought the baby closer, pure joy in Tonraq's eyes. Tears streamed down his face at the sight of his child, his creation in his arm. "She's alive. She's… she's alive."

Senna was in much of the same state. "We did it, Tonraq. We did it."

He nodded and sniffled, pulling the screaming newborn into their chests. "I never want to let her go."

"What are you gonna name the little fighter?" Kya spoke up, pushing herself to her feet with a groan.

They turned to each other and smiled. "Korra," they said in unison, their hearts fluttering.

The baby stopped crying upon hearing her name. She opened her bright blue eyes and stared at her parents for the first time.

Korra felt an extreme buzzing in her chest. It radiated and amplified, yanking her away from the scene before her. She flew at indecipherable speeds through indecipherable scenery and indecipherable thoughts. Everything was pounding inside of her, her mind trying to piece together what she just saw. The sight before her began to grow clearer and clearer. The open, starry sky of the Southern Water Tribe was the first thing to fill her view. Then the white snow. The joining of the Aakaga with the Paniga and Igniga was next. Soon, she could make out the shape of her large polar bear dog, a woman in blue beside her, another woman in half-white, half-dark brown, and a final person on the ground, wearing a mixture of blue, brown, black, and red.

It was then that she realized that was _her_.

She braced herself, shielding her face as whatever force that was commanding her slammed into her body. She was surrounded by darkness once more, everything aching and throbbing inside of her to the point of absolute consumption.

(-)


	39. The realization

I did it! I'm sorry it took so long, but I finally did it; I updated a chapter of History lol. I'm excited for you to read this, so I'll keep it short, sweet, and to the point: thank-you, I love you, I appreciate you taking the time to read my story, and I apologize in advance for this cliffhanger.

(-)

Chapter 39

 **The realization**

Korra didn't want to open her eyes. Why? Because everything hurt. Everything hurt _way_ more than she expected it to. Her mind was fuzzy, the images of _whatever_ just happened to her flicking from crisp to foggy and back. A jolt forced her from the darkness swelling inside. She fought through the energized turmoil buzzing in her chest and allowed the feeling to come back to her body. When she felt the familiar slender – but powerful – fingers in her own, she gave them a squeeze.

"Korra?" An excited voice called to her, the palm gripping back.

"A – Asa –" Her throat ached as she tried to speak. A loud bark penetrated her thrumming ears. The swirl inside her mind was overbearing as she returned into herself. She groaned and lifted her free hand to her head, part of her unaware that she was even doing so. She cracked her lids open one pair at a time and flinched to the moonlight above; Yue was much too bright for her after being surrounded by blackness.

"Easy, Korra. Take your time."

"Mas – Katar –" She grimaced again.

Katara ushered Naga back from her sitting position. "I know you're excited, but give her some space, Naga." She brought her attention back to the younger woman. "Relax, Korra. Take deep breaths. In and out. Do you feel a tingling in the tips of your toes?"

 _How did she…_ She nodded, too strained to finish the mental question.

"Good. That means your body is coming back to you, _unfrozen_." Katara smiled and eyed Korra.

Asami mirrored her grin, her peridots glued on Korra as she sighed in relief.

With another massive groan, Korra forced herself upright, gritting her teeth the whole time. She rubbed her temples and opened her eyes for a second time. Her vision swapped from blurry to focused, as did her thoughts and memories. "What – what happened," she asked herself more than the women around her.

" _You_ tell _us_ ," Katara urged, a knowing look on her face.

"I – I'm not sure what happened. I – I saw a lot of stuff. My birth. My parents. You and –" A sharp pain shot into her skull. She flinched and buried her hands in her scalp, shutting her lids once more.

"Shhhh, easy, Korra. How about we do something different?"

Asami raised a confused brow at Katara. She watched with curiosity as Katara retrieved the animal skin pouch beside her.

Katara pulled the ties open, speaking while she did so.

"I've carried this little pouch around with me for eighteen years. Many young Benders have seen what's inside." Katara fished out a small item, holding it by its brown handle. Attached to it was a wooden, circular piece with a yellow and orange swirl on each side. Tied to the frame holding it in place were two small, green beads. "Take a look at this for me, would you, Korra?" She held her hand open to the woman in front of her, a focused look on her face.

Once the throbbing simmered, Korra removed her palms from her scalp and opened her eyes. They fell upon the small object. She took the item from Katara and held it between her fingers. Without an ounce of hesitation, she responded. "This was one of my toys when I was a kid. I used to play with it all the time. It was my favorite."

Katara grinned, her heart doing somersaults in her chest. She pulled a small slip of paper with a broken white seal from her parka and held it in front of her. "Now, read this."

Korra lifted her eyebrow and took the slip, still holding onto the toy. She unfurled it, though she didn't recognize the script. "I think you were right about Korra," she read aloud, even more confused than she was before. She lowered her hands into her lap and met Katara's blue eyes. "Master Katara, I don't think I understand."

Asami was in very much the same state, though she didn't need to reveal it through words; her perplexed expression was enough.

"Korra, I have never shown this object to you. Not a single time, until now. And of all the people I _have_ shown it to, you were the only one who could identify it – _with confidence_."

"Wait, you… you never… but I remember. I remember playing with it."

"Not in _this_ life, Korra. It's a very _old_ relic." Katara took the object from Korra's loose grip and spun it between her fingers, making the beads clack against the board. "That note in your hands came from the White Lotus headquarters in the Fire Nation Capitol, written by Zuko himself."

Korra's heart dropped.

 _She – she knows I went to the Fire Nation. He_ _told_ _her._

"Oh, don't look so shocked, Korra. Zuko and I write each other quite often." She smiled and pulled the paper from her palm. "Now, do you know what Zuko was referring to in this letter?"

Korra met her eyes and shrugged.

"I've always known you were special, Korra, and that you were going to do great things. And I've always had this feeling, especially after you were brought to me and Kya when you were dying after you ran away from home. I've kept it a secret from you and most other people – for your _own_ safety," she took a moment to hold the charm on her necklace, rubbing her thumb over the carving to bring her comfort as the memories of the attack on the Southern Water Tribe fourteen years ago filled her sight. She, of course, was one of three people who knew the _true_ reason for the assault; it wasn't just about Tonraq being a 'world leader'. If anything, that was the cover the terrorists needed for their secret intentions; to capture Korra based on _Katara's_ _suspicions_. It was _her_ fault – her fault for revealing it to the wrong people, though she hadn't meant to. Her fault for them attacking, her fault for Sokka perishing… or so she believed, so she convinced herself in the beginning when the incident was fresh. And so she didn't say another word to another soul. Not Tonraq. Not Senna. Not even the young woman before her, the one who this was all about.

It was safer that way, as much as she hated it.

She inhaled to gather herself, her blue eyes meeting the oceans before her once more. "I've been waiting for the right time to talk to you about this, when I thought you were ready and when my inclinations were proven _true_ instead of just relying on circumstance and suspicion. Perhaps I should have told you sooner or perhaps now's the better time. Either way, I didn't want to accuse or theorize anything until I had more evidence to back it up – something that took many trials and errors in my life to put into _proper_ practice."

 _That, and I didn't want to risk another group trying to target her or even_ _kill_ _her like Ming-Hua and the rest tried to do._

Katara shuddered at the thought, her own emotions and mistakes tripping her up. "My mentality towards you faded a bit when you weren't able to Water Bend and I was almost convinced that you weren't the one, but I still held onto my hope, as crippling as my doubts had become. I just _knew_ you had to be the one. Everything that I believed in wasn't confirmed until I saw you Fire Bend earlier. Now, I think it's time I finally told you what I've suspected for quite a while now." She took Korra's confused hands in hers and squeezed them. "Korra, _you are the Avatar_."

Korra threw her head back and laughed. "Me? The _Avatar_? I don't think so, Master Katara. You said it yourself – I can't Water Bend. What kind of Avatar can't even Bend all of the elements?"

"The Avatar doesn't always start off with the ability to Bend all four elements. When I met Aang, he only knew how to Air Bend. He was taught the rest, for the most part."

"But my parents _tried_ teaching me Water Bending and it didn't work."

"That was something I couldn't figure out myself. Why do _you_ think you can't Water Bend?"

She pulled her hands away and folded her arms across her chest. She averted her eyes in a pout, wanting nothing to do with thinking about the affair between her parents. "I don't know," she grumbled. Korra tried to keep up her avoidance, but she crumbled. With a sigh and a slouch of her shoulders, she confessed. "My mom cheated on my dad with a Fire Bender."

"Is that what you _really_ believe?"

Korra looked through her brow at Katara. "It makes more sense than me being the Avatar."

" _Does it?_ Think about it, Korra. Something pulled you into the Spirit World to show you your birth for a reason."

"You _know_ about that? I never mentioned the white beam pulling…" Some of the blood drained from her face. "Wait, I was in the _Spirit World_?!"

Katara nodded. "I checked your body and your energy when you were gone. You felt the same way Aang did when he would meditate into the Spirit World."

The images started coming back to her. The flight. Her birth. The light. Aang – _herself_ – on the bed. The shaking. Blood clots.

 _Blood clots_.

Her body became very still as her mind poured through _everything_. All of the vessels in her brain expanded with the overflow.

The day she ran away. The voice calling to her in the darkness, clearer now than ever before.

The night she Fire Bended for the first time. Her heart was pounding. Her body was in terrible pain. She could see it in front of her as if she was there again, as if she had never left that moment. The flames that were welling up inside her. The power she pulled on, the blaze –

 _The_ _white_ _blaze._

The stinging and throbbing in her skull as it happened, like a chemical reaction was taking place from the adrenaline. The rush of blood, like a surge _exploded_ inside of her. The feeling was an intensified version of what she felt her infant-self endure when…

 _The – the clot, the light, I –_

The voice came back to her, calling:

 _Korra._

 _Korra._

 _Korra._

She screamed and held her skull between her hands, keeling over into herself. Her body started shaking beyond her control.

"Korra!" Asami reached out to her.

Katara grabbed her forearm to stop her.

Their eyes met, the peridots full of concern and rage that Katara would _dare_ prevent her from helping the woman she loved. Naga howled beside them, pawing at the ground in distress.

 _Get out of my head!_ Korra pleaded, the pain amplifying.

Her dreams and memories that had been blurry and unclear started to sharpen.

 _Korra._

The white beast below her in the storm.

 _Korra_.

The blue tattooed hands.

 _Korra_.

The crash, the sinking, the –

 _Freezing myself in ice._

 _Korra._

 _It was Aang. That was Aang. That was… me…_

 _Korra._

She gritted her teeth and started twitching. Everything was racing and pumping through her body and mind. Breath was becoming more difficult to come by.

Korra found herself pulling on the rage again, using the flames to Bend before she punched the pillar, leaving a considerable hole in the –

 _Stone._

 _Korra._

Another bolt shot through her. Tears were forming in her eyes.

She flew forward to her subconscious walk, her sight flipping between her own hands paddling through the waters leading to the Fire Nation and a pair of pale, tattooed ones, swimming towards a giant moving island in a similar state. Her mind skipped through to her time with Master Zuko, her body moving in a pattern she didn't know yet somehow recognized as the –

 _Dancing dragon._

 _Korra._

She saw herself performing the moves as her blindfolded Water Tribe self _and_ as the young Air Bender, a teenage Zuko in her sight.

 _Korra._

Korra cried out again. The shaking intensified. She felt like her mind was going to explode from the pulsing. The buzzing in her chest got worse and worse, louder and louder.

She was surrounded with molten ash, the ground shaking underneath her. Her lungs burned from the natural chemicals of the smog as she fought for breath. She watched in horror as the plume rushed towards her, her dragon companion surrounding her in an attempt to shield her from the blast.

 _Wait,_ _dragon_ _. White hair. Volcano._ _Roku_ _._

 _Korra._

She convulsed again, falling into the snow on her side. She shut her eyes, allowing the tears to fall down her cheeks.

She was on Air Temple Island now, skipping through her perfect Fire Bending kata back in Caldera City. She was near the two charmed necklaces just as they morphed into the images of people wearing them.

 _Two_ _Air Benders_ _._

Korra stepped closer in her mind, narrowing her eyes at the pair. She recognized the one on the right quicker than before as Master Aang. A second later, the one on the left clicked:

 _Avatar Yangchen._

 _Korra._

Another pulse, another cry, another tremble. The blood was rushing through her at a rapid rate. Something in her brain was churning, fighting through her vessels. The buzzing was so intense in her chest that she could feel her bones vibrate with it.

She saw herself performing the Air Bending kata with Meelo, the movement as natural as her Water and Fire Bending steps had been. Her body projected forward to her trying to Fire Bend, the pain worsening as she relived her attempts to pull on the energy inside of her.

 _Korra._

Korra crashed into her dream as Kyoshi, fast forwarding to the point where she fell onto the glass. She crawled, just as before, cutting her hands and knees on the shards while she did so. She moved until her face fit into the broken image, her eyes completing the puzzle of the face of past Avatars. Those same eyes widened as the realization hit her, as everything fell into place and became very clear to her.

Very clear, and very _painful_.

Her mind overloaded. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She couldn't breathe. It took only a few seconds, only a fraction of a moment, for all of the thoughts and all of the pieces to connect from the moment Katara compared her and Aang's trips to the Spirit World.

The explosion was too much.

Her senses were on fire. The buzzing in her chest expanded out of her. White light blinded her in a powerful flash.

Soon, there was darkness. She had no thoughts, no sense of self.

Nothing.

"Korra!" Asami tried to break from Katara's grip as she watched Korra's body convulse out of control.

Korra's eyes opened just to reveal that they were rolled into the back of her head. Her limbs moved out of control, her back slamming against the snow.

"Don't move her!" Katara commanded as Korra rolled from her side to her spine. "She's having a seizure." She left Asami's side and picked up the engineer's coat from the ground.

"A _seizure_?" Asami's heart sunk while she shared in Korra's suffering. A million thoughts and urges ran through her, reducing her mind into a painful mess. Her breath grew short in her struggle. It was as if she could _feel_ what Korra was experiencing – if not at the same potency, than to some portion of it.

Naga whimpered and howled, similar feelings of torment inside of her.

Katara nodded, her face grave. She folded the jacket up and placed it under Korra's head in as soft a motion as she could to support the spine around her neck. "When it comes to seizures, you just need to let them play out. Trying to stop it or holding the person down will make things worse. It might even kill them if they experience a neck injury."

"How – how do you know?"

"Because this has happened to Korra before. Once when she was born, and again when she was brought back from running away after her body warmed up from the cold. I suspect that's why she's been having such a hard time connecting to her Avatar Spirit."

"Avatar…" Asami's head was swirling. This was all too much for her. "Do – do you really think she's the Avatar?"

"Do you truly believe that her mother cheated on her father with a Fire Bender?"

Asami lowered her shoulders, her eyes glued in horrible torture to Korra's convulsing, unconscious body. "Truly? No. It made _logical_ sense, but there was a part of me that just wouldn't buy it." Asami felt tears forming in her eyes; watching the woman she loved in such a state was breaking her from the inside out. She wanted nothing more than to help in _some_ way, _any_ way. Actually, there _was_ something she wanted to do more than help, and it was look away. Seeing Korra like this… it was too much. But she wasn't strong enough to avert her peridots, just as she wasn't strong enough to look away from her mother's dying corpse in her arms. So they remained in place on the shaking Southerner. "How – how long do you think she'll be like this? I – I don't want her to suffer anymore…"

At that moment, Korra stopped shaking as if she could hear Asami's plea in her detached state. Her body grew very still, as was her breathing. It stayed like that for _quite_ some time – one minute turned into two which turned into ten and even thirty. Her limbs were strewn to her sides, like she was just tossed out onto the snow from a charging polar bear dog. Her heartbeat was erratic, but there. The buzzing in her chest simmered down into the energy storms she had been feeling before, though it was less intense in some areas.

In others, though…

Her feeling came back to her in parts as the murky darkness lifted. She groaned in agony as she cracked her eyes open. The starry sky above her was spinning with her head.

"Korra," Asami finally managed to snap herself out of her nervous, frozen stupor. She took Korra's warm hand in hers.

"How – what happened?"

"Don't try to get up just yet, Korra. Your body is still recovering." Katara joined her other side and placed a palm on her shoulder.

"You had a seizure, Korra. You were knocked out for a while, but we didn't move you in case of any neck injuries."

"Can you feel your toes, Korra? On both sides?"

Korra closed her eyes and focused on her feet. With a pained command from her throbbing mind, her toes wiggled.

Katara noticed this – given the woman wasn't wearing boots – and smiled. "Good. Your spinal cord wasn't damaged."

She tried to sit up again but was met with resistance by the pair of women beside her.

"Not yet, Korra. Your eyes still aren't seeing straight, are they?"

She cracked her lids and watched their faces swirl around her. She shook her head as large white fluff filled her sight. A rough tongue on her cheek and a loud bark followed. Korra chuckled. "I'm still here, girl. At least, I think I am. Unless this is another dream of some sort…"

"What's the last thing you remember," Asami asked, their eyes locking at her question.

"The last thing I remember? I was –" It all zipped through her in a matter of seconds. Every last mind-destroying thought rummaged past, all the way up to her black-out seizure. She saw her reflection in those glass pieces and shuddered to the pain in her skull. "I – I was in the Spirit World. I saw it all happen. The Spirit. _Me._ I think – I think Master Katara's right. The Fire Bending, all the dreams I've been having... I – I'm, I'm the A –"

"Ah, Korra. We were just coming to see you." A group of three men dressed in blue and white robes approached the group on the glacier.

They all stopped and turned to the trio, the distraction allowing a pained Korra to push herself onto her elbows to do the same. She recognized them in an instant as members of the White Lotus.

She didn't know why, but her heart dropped into her chest.

(-)


	40. Promise

Another day, another update! Though this day was much more spaced out than the last; illness is a horrible thing that has been consuming my life. But alas, here is the latest chapter. I hope you enjoy it. We are winding down to the close here. *cue suspenseful music*

(-)

Chapter 40

 **Promise**

Naga growled from behind Korra, acting on the distress she felt from her human companion. Though she was the furthest from the strangers, she was the most protective.

 _Except_ , perhaps, for the engineer who was already on her feet, her instincts in sync with Naga's. "Why would you be coming to see Korra this late at night?"

Two of the men took a step back while the third – the pale man in front – stood his ground. "We wanted to check on Chief Tonraq after the reports we received concerning the Striker attack. That… and he also came through the village earlier quite upset about something. He went to several places, checking on the injured people with the taaktis and those imprisoned from the battle, before heading to the pub nearby, from what we heard. We wanted to make sure he got home safely once we – learned what happened."

"That still doesn't explain why you want to see _Korra_." Asami shifted a bit, allowing her body language to better display her defensive aggression.

The man raised an eyebrow in both thought and confusion. Once he remembered his words, he added onto his argument. "Well, Korra _does_ live with Tonraq, doesn't she? We heard she sustained _quite_ a bit of stress from the battle earlier." He locked his pale-yellow irises onto the squinting oceans in front of him. "We also heard about something _else_."

Korra struggled to her feet, ignoring the concerned looks from the women around her. She tried her best to maintain an intimidating pose. "And what would _that_ be."

"That you, a child of two Water Benders in the Southern Water Tribe, exhibited _Fire Bending_."

Her eyes widened for just a moment in disbelief.

 _So they know._

 _Those White Lotus guys that were rushing towards the boat – they must have seen me Fire Bend when I was fighting off the Strikers._

"What do you want with me?" There was no use in denying it and Korra _knew_ that.

"The White Lotus has been searching for you for eighteen years. Well, not _you_ _specifically_ , but for the _Avatar_."

Korra took a step back while the others remained steadfast. "What makes you think I'm the one you want?"

"You Fire Bended when you're a child of the Southern Water Tribe. It's pretty obvious to us that you're the Avatar." The pale man left it at that, opting not to disclose their knowledge of Katara's affections towards the younger woman.

"And what if I _am_? What does it have to do with you?" Korra folded her arms over her chest, her stamina returning to her in slow waves of her breath.

"Our organization is built upon serving the Avatar and the world. And right now, the world needs its Avatar." He moved towards Korra, unafraid of the growling polar bear dog behind her. "We've come to bring you to the White Lotus compound to begin your Avatar training. The sooner we start, the sooner you will be of use."

 _Of use?!_ Asami snarled inside to the man's words.

"That is _not_ for you to decide." Katara moved closer, acting a split second before Asami could. "I understand the reason for your work and your desperation in performing your duties, but you can't force Korra into the compound against her will."

"Wait, I recognize you." Korra spoke up, a click of her mind echoing in her ears as she put some of the pieces together. "You three are the White Lotus people that came to my house the other day," her face morphed into a half-scowl, half-pout, "the ones that were _rude_ to my mother."

"We are still heavily sorry about that, Avatar Korra." One of the other men stepped forward, the same one who had apologized beforehand for the incident. "But if you would come with us to the compound –"

"Look, Korra has just had a very traumatic experience," Katara attempted to reason with the men, "she needs to rest. She can give you her decision in the morning once she's had time to think about it and discuss it with her family."

"Katara, you know just as well as I do that she needs to begin her training immediately –"

"And what is it that you are going to do at this time of night? Have her do kata? Spar? Bury her in scrolls?"

"Bring her into _safety_ , that's what we are going to do. Or did you forget about what caused the compound to be built in the _first_ place fourteen years ago after the attack on the Southern Water Tribe," he moved closer to Katara, intimidating pale-yellow eyes locked onto her blue ones.

Something in Korra stirred. She didn't like these men from the first day she met them; _no one_ talks to her mother the way they had. And the same went for Master Katara, if she had a damn thing to say about it. Her hot-headedness and her protective instincts took over. She wedged herself between Piku and Katara, fire in her oceans. " _Back. Away. From. Katara._ " She spoke with malice, her words not exactly her own.

 _Calm down, Korra._

"We're wasting time! You're coming with us to the compound." He reached out and latched onto Korra's right wrist, yanking her towards him in one smooth pull.

"Get off of her!" Asami reacted in an instant. She grabbed Piku's free arm and tried to force his hand behind his back in a painful lock.

He responded by extending his arm with all of his power. His elbow collided with her side, sending Asami crashing into the snow with a painful grunt.

Korra's sight turned red.

"How _dare_ you!" She twisted in a circle until her back was facing him. In the same motion, she rotated her wrist so that _she_ was gripping _him_ instead. Using her momentum, she followed through with a spinning back kick, her eyes in shock when she saw flames radiating from her sole as she did so. There were no white flames boiling inside of her, no mighty force that she pulled on. It was simply _her_ , her own energy, her own power, her own defense of her beloved sun.

It was enough to break her free of Piku and for him to recoil.

"I'm _not_ going with you. _Fuck_ your –"

Piku grabbed onto her again with the other two lunging forward to follow him, one bringing earth under his feet while the other brought a wave.

"Get _off_ of me!" Korra growled, yanking herself out of the man's hold a split second before he could tighten.

Naga barreled herself at the men, forcing her massive body between the Piku and Korra. She tackled him and growled as he rolled through the snow.

Shan and Natchik halted, the earth and water dying under their release. They stared at the massive polar bear dog, glancing between the three aggressive-looking women to formulate a plan.

She didn't know what it was – whether it was her 'Avatar Spirit' or her gut instinct or whatever else, but _something_ told her to get as far away from these men as she could.

And so she did.

Korra spun around and booked it, sprinting down the slippery eastern slope of the glacier.

Asami was on her feet by the time Korra started running. She made split-second eye contact with Katara and knew exactly what the elder wanted. She wasted no time in running after the Avatar.

Naga stayed next to Katara, knowing that Korra was in good hands with Asami. She intensified her snarl and bared her teeth at the three men.

Piku rose to his feet and met the ferocious irises of the old woman standing before him.

"I would suggest you leave _now_ , or else you won't be leaving for a _long time_." Her hands were at the ready, her voice menacing as she threatened them.

They stood their ground, though their stubbornness didn't escape a mild amount of hesitation. Before Piku could even lift his hand to attempt Fire Bending at Katara, he was frozen in his place. He flinched and looked down at his body, which was covered in ice up to his neck. He craned his head to find his companions in the same state.

Katara put her hands behind her back and approached Piku. She stopped once they were just a foot apart and his pale-yellow eyes were level with hers. "I don't know what's going on with you, but this is unacceptable behavior from the White Lotus. I want the Avatar back into the world just as much as you do, if not moreso. But this is _not_ the way to go about it. The rest of the Order will be hearing about this come sunrise. And if I see you lay a single _finger_ on Korra _ever again_ , you won't have any fingers left to Bend with. Do you understand me?"

A mixture of hidden rebellious fire telling him not to agree and fear begging him to surrender pulsed through him. He nodded with a stern face.

"Good." She turned from him and approached the still-snarling polar bear dog. "Come, Naga. We've got to go find Korra and Asami and make sure they're okay." She walked to the eastern edge of the glacier and waited at the ledge for Naga to join her side.

Naga sent another dark bark their way, as if making the same threat Katara had. She left the frozen White Lotus members and caught up to Katara.

They surveyed the area for Korra's foot trail. Once they locked onto it, they began their descent down the mountainside, leaving the three men to freeze in their ice prisons.

(-)

Korra was running faster than she thought she would be able to after having a seizure.

Perhaps a little _too_ fast.

It didn't take her long for her legs to give out halfway down the mountain. She slipped and tumbled all the way to its base, earning new bruises and a few scrapes from the hard terrain and the occasional rock that collided with her bare skin. Once her rolling was complete at the bottom of the glacier, she pushed herself up and kept sprinting.

Asami wasn't far behind. She elected _not_ to slide down the hill in the same manner as Korra had, though, but still managed to reach the flatter ground when Korra was only a few yards away. "Korra," she called to her, reaching her hand out in vain.

She didn't hear Asami's voice. All she could hear was her thudding heart in her ears. She kept sprinting across the ice field until her toes were too cold to function. She tripped over her own feet and crashed into the snow with a groan-full thud.

"Korra!" Asami sped up and crouched beside Korra once she had caught up. "Are you okay?"

Korra shook her head, burying her face into the snow to hide her tears. She struggled for breath. This was all too new for her, all too much. Just a few months ago, she was a teenager excited to see Republic City for the first time and to get an education. One semester, one friendship, one rivalry later and she was shooting fire from her fist. One decision, one heart wrenching longing, one runaway later and she was in the Fire Nation, learning how to _actually_ Fire Bend. One week, one attack, one trip to the Spirit World later, and she was the _Avatar_. Her. The Non-Bender from the Southern Water Tribe who couldn't manage to Water Bend to save her life. Her. The girl who was just looking to make her dad proud. Her. The woman who was growing up much too fast for her liking.

 _She_ was the Avatar.

Her.

The _Avatar_.

"How did this all happen?" She mumbled, her thoughts rampant as her body recovered from the running.

Asami put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the sobbing woman. It was a mixture of good and bad news that Korra was the Avatar: it was amazing because she's the fucking _Avatar_ , but it was also awful because she was the _fucking Avatar_. If she had been afraid of Korra being targeted _before,_ it was even _worse_ now. "Korra –"

She pushed herself up and collapsed into Asami's torso.

Asami held her tight, not knowing what else to do or say or _think_ at the moment.

"I – I'm the – all this time, I –"

Asami buried one of her hands into Korra's brown hair, stroking it to calm the Southerner in her arms. "It's going to be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" She broke away and stared into the peridots before her, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I – I don't know what I'm going to do. This – this is all happening so fast – I –" She rejoined Asami and buried her nose into her sweet arctic-lily smelling hair. "Tell me what to do, Asami."

"I can't make your decisions for you, Korra." She fought back a small knot in her throat; she hated seeing Korra this way. "But I can make a recommendation."

This got Korra's attention. She separated once more and sniffle. She met Asami's eyes. "What is it?"

Asami slid her hands to the front of Korra's head to hold her cheeks with her pale palms. She wiped stray tears away with her thumbs. She was aware of when Korra needed to be pushed into the solution, and when she just needed an escape. For this situation, it was the latter. "How about we go back to your place, change into some warm clothes, heat up some tea, start a fire, and just snuggle up under your wolf pelt?"

"That… that's not going to help my situation. I – I'm –"

"You're stressed. And tired. You need rest, just like Katara said, so your body and mind can recover. You just had a _seizure_ , Korra, and it knocked you out for well over half an hour. You'll be safer in your house than out here in the open and you can get the rest you deserve."

"She's right, you know." Katara added as her and Naga approached them, their footsteps unheard in the heat of the moment. "You need to relax, clear your mind, and restore your body before you –"

"You all act like it's such a simple thing to do." Korra pulled away and threw her hands up into the air in frustration. "You're not the ones who are going through all this – this _craziness_ right now." She turned away and folded her arms over her chest in a pout.

"You're right, Korra. We're not." Asami crawled over to Korra's side and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, their backs to the pair behind them. "We aren't in your head or your shoes and we will never _truly_ understand what you're going through, but that doesn't mean we don't want to _try_. We _want_ to understand the best we can, and we want to _help_ the best we can. But we can't do it alone. We need _you_ , too."

Korra sighed and allowed her arms to drop to her sides. She rested her head in the nook of Asami's neck, nestling until she was comfortable. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Asami shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Good." She melted more into Asami and reached for her free hand. When their fingers interlocked, a soft smile formed on her face – if just for a second. The thoughts of everything before her took that grin right off. "This is – this is all so crazy. Everything is happening so fast. One minute, I'm meeting you in chem lab and gawking at how beautiful you are and the next minute I've got guys trying to drag me to a compound because I can Fire Bend. When did everything get so… so – I don't even know."

It took Asami a moment to respond due to her blushing cheeks from Korra's hidden compliment. She shook herself free and caressed Korra's bare shoulder. "I know it's not going to be easy, but you'll get through this. I _know_ you will. You're _amazing_. And even if I don't always understand what happens, I'll be here to do whatever I can for you. I promise."

She straightened and stared into the peridots beside her, sincerity in each of their expressions. "Thank-you," she smiled, feeling weirdly pleasant as she got lost in Asami's eyes.

A strong chill moved between them, reminding them both of just how cold it was outside and how freezing _they_ were in their very limited clothing.

"We should – uh – probably get back to my place. I don't want you to –" she blushed at the thought, though she caught herself before she could say –

"What? Turn into an Asamisicle?" Asami replied with a smirk.

Korra grinned back, some of the tension washing off of her skin with the comment. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope," she responded with a wink and departed just to stand on her feet. She offered her hand to Korra and helped her to do the same.

She pulled Asami closer to her without a second thought, her natural instincts to keep the woman warm flowing through her _despite_ everything she had just endured. Korra moved with shaky feet over to Master Katara and her trusty polar bear dog. "Thank-you for everything back there."

Katara couldn't help but smile. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around Korra and Asami. "You are going to do great things, Korra, I know it. You _both_ are." She ended the embrace but kept a hand on each of their shoulders.

Naga nudged her way into the circle and licked Korra's cheek.

"Thank-you, too, Naga, for protecting me."

She barked and wagged her tail in response, prompting a chuckle from her human companion.

"Come on; let's go home. Do you mind if we hop a ride, Naga?"

She shook her head and kneeled down to allow the trio to climb onto her back.

Korra took the front with Asami placing her hands on Korra's waist and Katara holding onto Asami's shoulders. By the time they reached the joining of the Aakaga to the Igniga and Paniga, Korra was slumping over the side of the polar bear dog.

"Easy," Asami called, pulling Korra's torso against hers.

She responded with an incoherent mumble and a slight twitch.

 _She's tired. She's been through so much today and it's all catching up to her._

"Naga, we've got to get her home."

Naga howled and plunged into the river, eager to get Korra to safety.

Once they were out of the water, Katara Bent the cold liquid from their clothing and they zipped to Tonraq's home at break-neck speed. It took all of Asami's strength to keep Korra from falling off.

"Naga, I want you to take Katara home. I need to get Korra inside as soon as I can, but I don't want Katara travelling alone with everything that's been happening."

She nodded and stood before Katara could protest.

Katara simply bobbed her head and smiled at Asami. "Thank-you. And take good care of Korra."

"Of course," Asami returned the gentle expression as she forced the door open, a groggy Avatar half-leaning on her side. She waited until the pair was out of sight before sealing the main entrance. The common room was dark and the familiar sounds of Tonraq's snoring still echoed from the training room.

 _Good. They're still asleep._

Asami crept down the hallway, guiding Korra into the bedroom. She lowered her onto the mattress as smooth as possible and retrieved the wolf pelt that was abandoned to the floor earlier in the night. She wrapped Korra in the fur and turned to leave for warm tea when a muffled call stopped her. Asami spun back around and stared at the woman on the bed.

Korra's half-open ocean eyes stared at Asami's. Exhaustion radiated from her entire essence. Korra lifted her arms towards Asami the best she could and murmured "Asami".

Asami smiled and crawled back onto the mattress. She allowed Korra to pull her into a hug, even going so far as to let Korra toss half of the pelt on her.

She pulled Asami closer, wanting nothing more than her soothing embrace. She muttered her name again and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this," she whispered, using her last bit of energy to form an intelligible sentence.

Asami departed until their irises locked. "Korra, I will be here for you in whatever way I can, whether it's dealing with the campus or the Strikers or whoever else might get in our way. I _love_ you and it's _my_ decision to stay by your side through all of this. So don't apologize, okay?"

Korra nodded and smiled. "Okay. I – I love you, too," she sighed, lifting her head to place a gentle kiss on Asami's lips.

She reciprocated the brief moment of tenderness until fatigue consumed Korra.

Korra collapsed onto the mattress. Asami lay beside her and stared at the sleeping woman that she held so dear. She contemplated everything that she was feeling. The fear from before had intensified; no, she wasn't afraid of Korra's Bending, but she _did_ fear for her life. At the same time, sentiments of excitement pulsed through her; she knew the _Avatar_ , and not only that, she was holding her in her arms as she spoke these words in her head. She knew Korra could do _anything_ she wanted to and Asami would make sure she did _everything_ she could to keep her safe. She tousled a piece of her brown hair as her own enervation set in. Her last thought before she, too, drifted into slumber was a simple one that needed no explanation, no further accent or amplification with other superfluous words:

 _Korra._

(-)


	41. Avatar Korra

Here we are; the last chapter of History: Part II. I didn't think it would take this long to get this far, and I appreciate your patience while I attempted to get my life together enough to post the last 5-10 chapters. I am so very grateful for each and every one of you taking the time to read my story and even comment on it! You are truly amazing.

The first post of Chemistry was a long 348 days ago (almost a year!), and the story has evolved so much from the dream from which it was conceived. It was emerged from just another college AU to a whole new story for Korra and the characters we know and love (plus some new ones because world building and OCs are fun!). And now we are here, over 300,000 words later, to this point.

I know I thanked everyone a paragraph ago, but I would like to thank you all again. Your love and support - and even your dislike, at times - of my story has fueled me to continue a passion that I had otherwise forgotten for many many years prior; writing. It has been a very intense year, and while I haven't been able to get to writing in several months, I plan on picking it up again now that my course load has lightened and I am finally healing from my many sicknesses. I just truly would like to thank each and every one of you for all that you have done for me.

This chapter - to be blunt in these wee hours of the night - this chapter is fucking epic. I have been waiting oh so long to show it to you all, and for good reason. This is one of my favorite chapters and - in my opinion - a great way to end many of the things that have been culminating in History and even Chemistry. I hope you enjoy it as you have enjoyed some of the other chapters in this story.

So yes, this is the official end of History: Part II. But never fear! The story isn't over yet. Keep your eyes peeled for The Arts: Part I updates; you may be surprised by what is to come.

Also, shout out to The 100 fans out there - I know y'all are going through some heartbreak right now. You, um, might want to hold off reading this chapter if you are still emotionally raw. Just gonna put that right here.

In conclusion, here it is! The conclusion of History: Part II. I'll be hiding in my cave now. Enjoy!

(-)

Chapter 41

 **Avatar Korra**

"Mom! There you are! I've been worried sick about you." Kya burst out of her mother's home as the pair approached the entrance. "Where have you been?" Her scowl and angry tone faded into concern when she saw the look in Katara's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Naga kneeled down to allow Katara to slide off. She walked up to her daughter, a mixture of worry and happiness in her expression. "It's true, Kya. Everything that I suspected about Korra."

"She's the Avatar? How can you tell?"

"Naga came in the middle of the night for help. When I got there, Korra was unconscious. She was in the Spirit World. When she came to, I showed her the Avatar Air Bending relic. She recognized it in an instant, without having seen it at all in her life. That, plus the Fire Bending and everything else I've been feeling inside of her… she's the Avatar, Kya. I _know_ it."

"That's great, mom! She finally knows?"

She nodded, though the joy she felt morphed into full-on anxiety.

"There's something else, isn't there?"

Katara repeated her motion. "She had a seizure. She isn't doing too well from it."

"I'll grab the purified water –"

"Wait, Kya," she halted her daughter with a palm on her shoulder. "There's… something _else_."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The White Lotus came. Three of them. Piku, Shan, and Natchik. They know Korra is the Avatar, too. And they tried to force her to go to the compound with them."

Kya folded her arms over her chest. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know for sure. But they're currently frozen on top of the northern glacier near the joining of the three rivers."

"No doubt by your hand."

Katara nodded and turned to the polar bear dog. "Stay here, Naga. I'm going inside to change into more flexible clothing." She walked past her confused daughter, her words alone prompting Kya to follow.

"What do you have in mind, mom?" She was hesitant in her question, her tone full of cautious concern.

"I want to go to Korra's house and watch over her. I don't know what is going on with the White Lotus, but if there's more of them that are acting the same way as those three did, then she's going to need some protection."

"What about Tonraq and Senna?"

"Senna's not a fighter. She'd be able to hold her own against one or two Benders, but those three are _masters_ at what they do. Tonraq, on the other hand, would be fine in a fight like this; he's much more used to dueling Benders than those quick moving Striker people. But from what I've heard, he went to the pub in Harbor City before returning home. He might still be intoxicated."

"Why would he go to the pub?" Kya leaned against the doorway, looking away as Katara shed her outer layers.

"My guess is as good as yours. Perhaps he was upset at Korra being a Fire Bender. She thinks that Senna cheated on him with a Fire Bender, and _that's_ why she was able to Fire Bend."

She frowned. "Well, Tonraq doesn't _know_ that you've suspected Korra to be the Avatar all this time. Of _course_ that would be his first thought, especially since Korra can't Water Bend. Speaking of that," she pushed herself up and took a few steps inside, "why didn't you ever tell him about it?"

"You didn't see how hard he pushed Korra into being a Water Bender. He was a bit ridiculous, and a bit _relentless_. If I had told him that I thought she was the Avatar, it would have gotten _much_ worse. Besides, you remember what happened the last time that I…" Katara left it at that, the memories still painful though they were from over a decade ago.

Kya frowned and watched her mother with careful eyes.

Katara walked past her daughter – now clothed in fewer layers – and exited their home, apprehension in her posture.

"I – I had no idea things with Tonraq were that serious," Kya continued, finding it better for the _both_ of them to ignore the latter portion of Katara's statement. "Is it all because of what happened with him in the North?"

"I suspect so." Katara replied, grateful for the avoidance. She approached Naga and ran a hand through her fur. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on right now, but I'm worried about Korra. My gut is telling me to go watch over her, so that's what I'm going to do." Katara crawled onto Naga's back and adjusted her position. "Are you coming with me?"

"Of _course_ I am." Kya shot herself onto the polar bear dog with her Water Bending. "Do you think I would let you do something like this alone?" She grabbed onto her mother's shoulders with a fiery look of determination.

Katara nodded, a similar expression on her face. With a slight bend forward, the trio was speeding off to the home of the unofficial Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

(-)

Everything was quiet. Korra was passed out. Asami was in a similar state. The fire place was barren of any blaze. Senna was asleep in her bedroom. Even the snores from the slumbering Tonraq in the training room had died down to just an occasional snort as he tossed on the uncomfortable ground.

A loud rumble disturbed the stillness.

Korra woke a split second before she was flying across the room. She smashed into the wall near her window, the wind knocked out of her lungs.

Asami was thrown to the side, the mattress destroyed in the blast.

"What the hell?"

They both rose to their feet, moonlight shining through the fresh hole in the wall. A shadowy figure in blue and white robes appeared, a roaring slab of earth too big to dodge rushing into Korra's direction.

She had no time to react, still shaky from her last blow. It collided with her and forced her right through the wall to the exterior of her house. She toppled and bounced through the snow, grunting as she did so. A sharp pain ravaged her shoulders from the impact.

"Korra?!" Asami called, her shout mirrored by her frantic parents who were rushing through the house from different rooms.

Asami spun to face the Earth Bender just in time to see a pillar of rock shoot up at her. She jumped out of the way and rolled onto her feet. "You!" She pointed at the Bender, recognizing him from the glacier earlier in the night. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

"Shan?" Tonraq and Senna were in the doorway near Asami, ready and raring for a fight.

He wasted no time in answering them. He shifted and sent more earth their way.

Asami dove forward, escaping the closed quarters through the hole that Korra was blown through. She scanned the area, searching for the Southerner. "Korra!" She sprinted towards her as quick as she could, noticing five other White Lotus members rushing to her as well.

Tonraq and Senna had dodged the attack from Shan in the opposite direction to Asami's route, landing closer to Korra's destroyed mattress. Tonraq charged forward, realizing that he was cornered. He pulled on some of the snow from the first hole in the wall and turned it into water, sending a distracting stream Shan's way. The tactic was enough to force him off balance, the pause in his next attack granting Tonraq enough time to run into the open. A new arsenal of ice and snow was at his fingertips. "Find Korra," he yelled over his shoulder, shooting himself into the air to avoid a large rock pillar.

Senna slipped through the second opening. She froze when she found a battered Korra and a defensive Asami surrounded by five members of the White Lotus. She recognized two of them as the men who stopped by her home a few days before: Piku and Natchik. The other three were unfamiliar to her.

Korra and Asami, on the other hand, had seen them before; while they didn't know the three men's names, they remembered seeing them after the Striker attack when Naga had brought Korra, Tonraq, and Kya back to shore from the stolen ship.

"What do you want with me?!" Korra pushed herself to her feet, gritting her teeth as she did so. Her abdomen and back ached from the Earth Bending blows and in all honesty, she wasn't sure how she was still able to stand after sustaining them.

"You _know_ what we want," Piku stepped forward, hands at the ready to Fire Bend.

A muffled grumble and the sound of a bouncing body interrupted his sentence. Tonraq rolled all the way over to the group nearby, groaning from taking a full-on blast of rock to the chest.

"Come with us, Avatar Korra, or we'll take you by force."

Senna's jaw dropped.

Tonraq was in a similar state. He pushed himself to his feet, one hand on his center. He squinted at his daughter, disbelief in his voice. "A – _Avatar_?" Too many thoughts burst through his head for him to comprehend in his tired, injured, and still somewhat-drunken state.

"Korra!" A pair of voices called to them.

They all turned to see Naga charging towards them, her occupants jumping off and riding currents of their own design over to the group.

The White Lotus wasted no more time. Piku was done with trying to negotiate. They each picked a person and split off.

Shan continued to fight Tonraq.

Natchik ran in Senna's direction.

Musu went after Kya.

Magaruk waited for Katara to get closer.

Ziyi took on Asami and the rampaging polar bear dog.

That left Piku and Korra.

Tonraq avoided a rock pillar with a push of himself along the snow, a move similar to the Earth Bending style itself. He rotated on the ball of his foot, his hands outstretched to take a large amount of water from the ground with him. He completed his rotation and sent the wave surging at Shan. Shan punched downward, causing a platform of stone to burst from the snow and send him sailing above the current. It splashed around the column, unfazed by the liquid attack. Tonraq rolled out of the way of several uprooting boulders around him, moving in a zigzag pattern towards his enemy. He brought water up to his fists and latched onto the pillar, partially freezing the fluid against the stone and his skin to establish a better grip. He climbed up the support at a rapid speed, flattening himself to avoid several hunks of rock sent his way. Once he was near the top, he projected himself upwards – right up into a side-pillar of earth that Shan had created from the very column on which he stood. Tonraq plummeted to the ground and bounced through the hard snow, just a few yards away from Senna.

Senna was on the defensive, countering each of Natchik's moves as they came at her. She redirected some of his Water Bending attacks right back at him while others she simply Bent away to her sides. She watched his movements carefully, unfamiliar in his Northern style of combat. Each time his hands lifted or his fingers clenched, she shot herself away, either rolling onto the ground or riding a wave to change her position. Her few offensive moves when she was on her current proved ineffective to his skillful maneuvering and ice shields. She copied his technique and threw a wall of ice in front of her when sharp icicles were shot her way. Natchik used this to his advantage, dodging the barrier that was now flying his way with a rotation in his stance. He brought water out in front of himself as he spun, Bending it in a curvy blast as he finished his movement. It was enough of a distraction for him to prepare a small, more discreet stream, which he shot at Senna's center while her arms were busy Bending the last wave around her body. She panicked for a moment, her duck allowing the water she was swirling to intercept the sharpened-end of the attacking surge. It was enough to divert the ice but not enough to stop the blast of the liquid-water tail-end. It forced her back, her body slamming and sliding into Asami's view.

Asami, of course, was much too preoccupied with the Earth Bender shooting pillars at all parts of her body to be of much help to Senna. She dodged and dipped the best she could, her body on the complete defensive; unlike the Benders around her, she was limited to close range combat, and she was nowhere _near_ close enough to hit Ziyi with any of her moves. He was all bulk yet moved at a speed she had never seen from an Earth Bender his size before. She rolled out of the way of a large boulder and pushed herself off of the ground with her hands, avoiding the walls of an earth prison shooting up around her. This brought her closer to the man, but still not close enough. The sound of stampeding feet and the sight of the polar bear dog behind him brought a bit of relief and hope to her heart. That was, until Ziyi picked up on the animal, too. He slammed his foot in the ground, sending a wave of earth Asami's way. She dodged it with ease. It wasn't until she looked up that she realized that was just a slow-attack diversion from what the Bender was planning. He watched Naga's feet, picking up on her speed and relative straight-line pattern. Once the animal's front legs were back and her hind legs were coming forward, in that _split second_ she was off the ground, Ziyi lifted his arms with break-neck speed and power. A large platform shot out from under Naga, sending her soaring through the air and far _far_ away from him. She crashed with a painful yelp several yards away from the battle. When Ziyi turned around, Asami was charging at him, red in the corners of her eyes. She rolled under one of his boulders. And another. And another. She dove to the side when she felt the earth rumble under her feet, looking to avoid meeting the same fate as Naga had. By the time she was standing again, another stone was barreling towards her. It was too close for her to avoid, so she crossed her arms against her chest and exhaled her breath, taking the blow in the least damaging way she could. The assault sent her flying back, nearly missing the path of a fire blast from the Bender squaring off with Kya.

Kya had a series of water streams around her, the liquid circling her for both defense and offense. She countered each of Musu's flames by either dousing it with her enveloping water or rotating out of the way to sidestep it – similar to the way her father would avoid moves with his Air Bending footwork. Each spin gave her the opportunity to expend some of her spaced bubble-streams to attack her opponent. She mixed it up between icicles and jets in an attempt to keep the Bender on his toes. He avoided those attacks with ease, picking up on the Water Bender's strategy. He lunged forward and extended both of his fists out in front of his chest, sending a wave of fire too large for Kya to simply deflect or walk around. She cursed in her head and brought all of her water together, freezing it at the last moment to shield herself from the blast. It melted her barrier until the edges of the blaze fringed her clothing. She couldn't hold the ice much longer and she had no time to Bend more water to aid in easing the blow. She gulped – the heat around her becoming more intense – when a large water current with a Water Bender on top surged past her. It broke the fiery onslaught just enough for Kya to procure more liquid of her own. She kept her arms moving, Bending more and more water to combat the flames. Steam rose up into the sky as a second Water Bender rode past them, bursting through the vapors while she chased the White Lotus member down.

Katara had a perfect balance on her wave, using large movements and even larger amounts of water to pursue Magaruk. He sloshed around, trying to avoid the spiraling streams sent his way as he, too, was balanced on a current of his own design. They circled around Tonraq, who was back on his feet and Bending water at Shan, and narrowed their waves until they were close to the ground. They both clenched their fists, gliding around on controlled ice instead of water. They shot past Naga, Katara gaining speed on Magaruk. She managed to use every-other arm movement to shoot ice columns into his path, attempting to knock him off of his ice wave. He ducked and dodged them, his reflexes tuned to even _her_ speed of attack. Magaruk jumped for a moment, spinning and Bending a wave of water with his outstretched hands as he did so. He sent the stream at Katara, hoping to throw her off of her moving ice. Katara simply repeated his movement, redirecting the water right back at him. He used this to make another ice wave as he sped off again. Katara lifted her hands and clenched them as she fell to the ground, mirroring Magaruk. The pursuit continued, bringing them back to where Kya and Musu were dueling it out. He waited until she was just close enough, just centered behind him, before lifting his hands and creating a large wall of ice that shot his own self up into the sky. Katara wasn't quick enough to avoid the barrier in its entirety. She, too, brought her hands upwards, but instead of directly up, she crossed them, shooting ice pillars up in front of her to cushion the impact. She burst through the tall but thinned obstacle of ice and rolled across the ground, grunting as she did so.

The injured elder caught Korra's peripheral as she spun around a fire-laced back kick. The flames shot around her, her maneuver just enough to avoid it. Closer combat was what she was used to after dealing with the Strikers, and as much as she tried to stay close enough to land a blow on Piku, he wouldn't allow it. Each of his flame-filled attacks sent her farther and farther out of her range. Soon, she was rolling and diving out of the way of orchestrated blazes, each more accurate and more deadly than the last. Sweat was on her brow, her fists at her face. She slipped another blast, though it was close enough to leave a mild burn on her shoulder; it wasn't bad enough to scar, but it was enough to warn her of the true danger of her situation. Piku rotated in the air, sending a massive blaze her way from the heel of his foot. Korra _knew_ she couldn't dodge this one. It covered too much area and it was coming too fast. Her thoughts toned down for a second as her subconscious recalled the _last_ time a fire wave like this was coming towards her. She smacked the backs of her fingers together, like she was preparing to dive through the flames as she had before, when the Triple Threat Triads were attacking her. Once the fire was close enough, she pushed her arms forward and out, parting the flames around her body before they could collide with her skin. She stood her ground for the entirety of the attack, which was much longer than she thought it would be.

What she wasn't expecting was the second burst to follow.

She lowered her arms once the first blaze had ceased and looked up just as the second pushed her into the ground. She bounced backwards until her front was sliding against the snow. Korra positioned her feet to slow her momentum, her oceans locking onto the charging Piku. She gritted her teeth as she came to a halt and jumped up, already too late for his next attack. Piku sent another massive blast her way. Korra threw her hands up in an instinctual effort to shield her face. The flames flew to either side of her, her palms protected by a very thin layer of chi that was radiating from her skin. It blocked and redirected the energy within the flames _around_ her instead of _at_ her. This blast was much longer, the fire resonating from Piku's extended fists. The force was pushing her back, as much as she tried to stay steadfast. Her feet scraped against the ice, inching her away from her group. The power was becoming too much for her to combat. She tried to pull on more of her chi, but it wasn't enough. She succumbed to the blow and flew back again, tumbling across the hard ground with new scrapes and minor burns on her hands. She was on her stomach when her rolling ceased. She tried to push herself up from the ground with shaking limbs. She had one eye opened and locked on Piku.

"What, no Fire Bending from the _Avatar_?" Piku taunted, grinning as he approached Korra.

Korra shot to her feet, feeling the sun within her burn. "You want Fire Bending?" She growled. "I'll show you Fire Bending." She lunged forward, sending a similar two-fisted fire blast towards Piku.

 _Woah. My Bending is so much easier now._

 _And so much more powerful._

 _What do you think happened? Do you think the blood clot cleared more?_

 _Or are you more connected to your Avatar Spirit?_

 _Or maybe it's the chi. Maybe it's easier to access now –_

 _Guys, who the fuck cares? I can figure this out later. Right now I need to – shit!_

Korra dove out of the way of a counter blast, not even realizing hers had long diminished.

"Is that all you've got?"

She gritted her teeth, the sun slowly being consumed by white flames of rage. She sent several blasts his way, her moves switching between punches and kicks deriving from the basic Fire Bending kata she learned from Master Zuko. Her moves were becoming mindless – second nature, to be exact – as she advanced on the defending Fire Bender. The ire grew as her moves missed or were deflected time and time again.

 _Korra, relax. Remember; inner sun, not rage. Drive, not anger._

The thoughts resonated in her, echoed in her ears. It caused her to slip for just a split second as she switched her fire source. She pulled on her chi and closed in on Piku, sending a large blast his way as a distraction. She rolled towards him as he Bent it away, a flame-tipped fist flying at his face. Piku parried it with a forearm block, using the momentum to move his other arm in a near-circular fashion above his head, the deflecting one parallel near his waist. He brought his fists together and shot them out, a raging fire blast emanating from his knuckles.

It was in much too close for Korra to dodge.

She catapulted backward, bouncing against the hard ice several times before coming to a groaning halt. The extent of her injuries and her own exhaustion from both her seizure earlier in the night and her use of her chi fatigued her. Korra rolled onto her front and tried to push herself up. She stayed on her knee, half-upright, as she held her pained abdomen. Her shirt was slightly burned away, leaving small marks at the fringes on her skin. How she didn't receive a worse burn from such a short range baffled her, but she had no time to think it over. Piku was closing in, his stance aggressive.

"What do you want with me," Korra called, still too weak to rise up onto her feet. "All of this just to get me to your _damned_ compound?"

"Oh, no, Avatar Korra. It's become much more than that. We were never going to take you to the compound."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What – what do you mean?"

"We weren't going to take you away to the compound. We were going to take you away to _kill_ you."

Her heart dropped in both fear and confusion. " _Kill_ me? Why would you want to _kill_ me? I – I thought the White Lotus was supposed to _help_ the Avatar."

Piku grinned, malice in his expression as he stopped his advance. "Who said we were a part of the White Lotus?" He took a breath and wound up quickly. A split second later, he shot a single arm outward, a powerful beam of white lightning flying from his fingertips.

Korra struggled to her feet, the flash lighting the darkness around her. It filled her eyes, the racing attack too close for her to dodge. She caught the wave in her hands to try and stop it; it was the only thing her instincts thought to do in such short timing. It pushed her back, though she remained on her feet. The electricity shocked her to the core, the pure power of the assault passing part of her palms and arching just below its original target: her heart. Regardless, it forced her heart into an erratic beat and intermingled with the already-tumultuous energy inside of her, making her storms and swirls of chi even worse. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, reaching her breaking point. Her abdomen burned. The thought of death floated in the back of her mind. Time seemed to slow down. She cracked her lids open for just a second, looking past the Fire Bender shooting lightning at her. She caught the sight of her father and mother, of her lifelong friend and her friend's daughter, of the woman she just met and fell in love with not too long ago, as each of them were falling victim to the Benders attacking them. A new energy filled her when she realized that they, too, were nearing their breaking point and potential death.

 _I – I have to do something. I can't let them die. I – I can't let_ _myself_ _die._

 _But what could I possibly do?_

 _You can do_ _anything_ _. You're the_ _Avatar_ _._

 _I – I'm the –_

 _Korra._

The voice called to her. This time, it didn't bring a terrifying amount of pain. Rather, it filled her with an _incredible_ amount of strength. Her subconscious stepped in, and it knew _exactly_ what to do.

Korra took a hold of the energy inside of her from the lightning radiating through her limbs. She forced control of the blast until her feet stopped dragging against the snow.

"You're not going to kill me!" Her tone was determined, fire in her eyes radiating from the sun within her and the power supplied from the voice. " _I'm the_ _Avatar_ ," she spoke with authority, moving her left hand towards her stomach while the right took on the majority of the lightning. The channel was open. " _And you've_ ," she locked onto each of the Benders in her peripherals, " _got_ ," she shifted her footing, bringing her left arm up to her shoulder, "to **_deal with it_** ** _!_** " She screamed at the top of her lungs, shooting her left hand out from her body. She focused on each internal path of her chi in that second, using the channels she made inside to redirect the energy of the lightning through her stomach and out of her. Korra didn't just release the power from her hand; no, she routed the lightning through _each of her fingertips_ , sending the strong beams at each of the five Benders that were attacking the people she loved.

Every redirected blast hit its mark, effectively incapacitating the aggressors and forcing them to collapse into the snow.

She turned her attention to Piku, her fearless eyes meeting his fearful ones. She brought her fingers together and used her last ounce of strength to divert the lightning at the Fire Bender. He stopped his attack before it hit, but it wasn't soon enough. He, too, was knocked out from his own lightning, plummeting to the ground in unconsciousness.

Once the power of the lightning had left her, Korra staggered on her feet. She brought her shaking hands down to her abdomen, the area just above her navel near her diaphragm. It was smoking from Piku's blast. It _burned_ and bled against her fingers. Several streams of electricity radiated out of her in a similar way to when Sentai had stabbed her with his baton. There was a metallic taste in her mouth. Her legs started to shake. She felt herself slip into blackness, the whole ordeal much more than her body could handle. Her chi was rampant inside of her now; she could feel every bit of it. It overwhelmed her. She dropped to her knees, the final sight in her closing eyes being that of Asami running towards her, calling her name with her hand outstretched.

Korra reached out to her in her last moments of consciousness, just before the darkness and the pain took her away.

(-)


End file.
